B.C. Premier John Horgan announced today that the Province welcomes the new international travel measures announced Friday by the federal government.
In a statement, the premier noted that the new measures will "strengthen the health and safety screenings at our borders and help keep British Columbians and all Canadians safer."
Horgan said that the new measures build on requirements implemented in April 2020, when the Province instated an order that all international travellers have self-isolation plans on their return to B.C.
The Province has also been calling on the Trudeau government to enact mandatory quarantine measures to restrict international travel further. And earlier this week, he stated that B.C. would stand by the federal government if they brought in new international travel measures.
“If there are new travel restrictions internationally, B.C. stands ready to work with the federal government to implement them here in B.C.,” Horgan said in a press briefing.
The B.C. premier will continue to speak with the prime minister and premiers across the country about ways to continue to limit non-essential interprovincial travel.
For now, Horgan underscored that British Columbians should not travel unless it is for an essential purpose: "if you do not need to travel, don't."
“With vaccines on the way, we look forward to the day when we can once again welcome visitors to B.C. safely. Until then, we ask everyone to please stay home.”
Canada bolsters travel restrictions, suspends all flights to Mexico and Caribbean
Canada is suspending all flights to Mexico and the Caribbean in a bid to thwart variants of COVID-19 from entering the country.
Those restrictions go into effect Sunday (January 31), while Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also revealed Friday that all international travellers will only be able to land at airports in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal beginning next week.
Travellers who arrive in those cities will be required to take a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test at the airport to determine if they have COVID-19.
Those travellers will then be required to wait at an approved hotel for up to three days at their own expense as they await test results.
Trudeau estimated the cost of the hotel stays would run about $2,000.
Those who test negative will be able to quarantine at home, while those international travellers who test positive will be sent to a designated government facility to quarantine.
With files from Tyler Orton
