Prior to the May long weekend, BC Ferries is reminding customers that restrictions in BC remain in effect and travel is limited to essential reasons only. No additional sailings are scheduled over the holiday weekend (May 22, 23, 24).
BC Ferries continues to deny travel to customers travelling for non-essential reasons on routes crossing regional zones as defined in the public health order announced on April 23, 2021, which includes the Comox/Powell River route.
Customers who are travelling will be asked if their travel is essential, and will be denied passage if it is not, according to a media release.
Customers travelling on routes that operate within the same regional zone, such as Saltery Bay/Earls Cove and Langdale/Horseshoe Bay, should be avoiding non-essential travel, according to the release.
The province defines situations that qualify as essential travel as:
- Returning to your principal residence, moving or helping someone move
- Work, both paid and unpaid (volunteer)
- Commercial transportation of goods
- Getting health care or social services or helping someone get those services
- Court appearance, complying with a court order or parole check-in
- Exercising parental responsibilities (including spending time as a parent with a minor child)
- Accessing child care services
- Attending classes at a post-secondary institution or school
- Responding to emergencies or a critical incident, like search and rescue operations
- Providing care to a person because of a psychological, behavioural or health condition, or a physical, cognitive or mental impairment
- Visiting a resident as an essential or social visitor at long-term care or assisted living facility
- Fleeing the risk of abuse or violence
- Attending a funeral
- Local residents travelling into or out of the Nisga’a Health Authority region from the Northern/Interior travel region
BC Ferries states that it has a zero tolerance policy for abuse, both verbal and physical, toward its employees. Any customer who abuses an employee will be banned from travel.
For more information, go to bcferries.com.
