Premier John Horgan
Image Credit: SUBMITTED / Province of B.C.
November 18, 2020 - 11:14 AM
While provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has recommended that no one travel in B.C. unless needed, Premier John Horgan took that a step further today.
“Non-essential travel is prohibited in British Columbia and will remain that way for the next two weeks, at least,” Horgan said at a news conference today, Nov. 18.
Later in the briefing he seemed to back off a bit from that language by saying such travel should not happen. His office later confirmed that no order has been issued banning non-essential travel. Horgan, in answer to media questions, did not support any suggestions to take action against such travel, just encouraged people to stay home.
“This is not the time to go storm watching on Vancouver Island,” he said. “If you’re not required to travel you should not travel.”
He noted people can travel freely within the country and that has to be respected, but enforcement mechanisms and possible quarantines may be looked at in the future.
He’s also calling on the federal government to impose national travel restrictions.
“People of Quebec and Ontario and Manitoba need to know that they need to stay in Quebec and Ontario and Manitoba,” he said, adding those travel restrictions need to stay in place until a vaccine is in broad use in Canada.
Horgan noted the Maritimes created a travel bubble early in the pandemic and that seemed to be effective so that may be considered in B.C. if the rate of infections don't come down.
He also said it will be up to Dr. Henry to bring in tougher restrictions, if necessary, in the face of a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases in B.C. and hinted that further orders may be imposed by her tomorrow when she will be updating COVID-19 numbers.
A mandatory requirement for non-essential travellers to Vancouver Island has been suggested by health authorities there. Horgan said he’s personally not in favour of that but will leave it up to Dr. Henry to make that call.
He noted the province is looking at the situation in schools and hinted some changes may be announced by Dr. Henry tomorrow as well. He also pointed out that COVID-19 is in the community and coming into the schools that way but is not being spread by children.
— This article was updated at 3:18 p.m., Nov. 18, 2020 to add comments from Horgan's office about travel restrictions.
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