The federal government is ending exemptions it put in place for British Columbians impacted by flooding who needed to cross the border to get home or access supplies.
A statement from Transport Canada states the temporary exemption will end at 9 p.m. on Jan. 31.
Flooding caused by a series of mid-November storms washed out major highways, and at one point, the only way to get out of B.C.'s Lower Mainland by car was through the U.S.
Additional highway closures caused supply chain issues, including gas rationing.
"You will recall that soon after the floods happened in B.C. this fall, the Government of Canada put a temporary exemption in place so that residents of B.C., who had to travel by land to or through the United States for essential food and supplies, were exempt from pre-entry, arrival, and Day-8 testing and quarantine requirements," said the federal news release. Those who were using the exemption had to limit their trip to 24 hours and the exemptions were for essential travel only.
Many of the highways damaged by flooding and severe weather events have now been repaired, including the Coquihalla, which reopened to all traffic on January 19.
