(STEVE ARSTAD / iNFOnews.ca)

With visitors rushing into and around B.C. now that advisories against non-essential travel have been eased, it’s more important than ever to make sure COVID-19 doesn’t spread.

That’s the advice given by Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry at today’s COVID-19 update.

“Any traveller from outside of British Columbia needs to understand that we have established clear rules for safe social interactions here in British Columbia and we expect everybody who comes here to adhere to those rules as well,” she said. “We’re calling those our travel manners and we will include you in that if you come to British Columbia.”

That means things like keeping to small groups, keeping safe distances and wearing masks when you can’t keep those distances, she said.

The requirement for foreign visitors to self-isolate for 14 days after coming to Canada has been extended until the end of August. These rules also apply to Canadians who leave Canada and return.

“With each day that we keep our curve flat, we can take confidence in knowing that the people we care about the most are staying safe,” Dr. Henry said.

She expressed concern about the resurgence of the disease in the U.S. and pointed out that Washington state is struggling to control its pandemic.

“I think it really speaks to, once you get a level of transmission in the community with this virus, it’s so, so challenging to get ahead of it,” Dr. Henry said. “That’s one of the things we’ve been able to do here in B.C."

The majority of the U.S. licence plates in B.C. are actually vehicles driven by Canadians who have returned to B.C. over the past few months, Dr. Henry said.

She also addressed the so-called Alaska Loophole where U.S. citizens claim they are travelling through to Alaska but stop off to vacation in B.C. She noted that those are small in number.

“To those people who are coming through our province, recognize that we have a vested interest in making sure that you follow our travel manners," Dr. Henry said. "We need to help people understand what those are in a calm and in a kind way."

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