Folks just want you to stay away until it's safe again

There's coronavirus fatigue, then there's the general weariness and frustration of saying over-and-over for 13 months now: Stay home!

There was an enough-is-enough feeling from people who got in touch with Postmedia News, reacting to the latest directive from Dr. Bonnie Henry to not venture out of your own neighbourhood unless it's necessary.

“For over a year our neighbourhood has been swarming with people who clearly do not live here,” White Rock's Shelley Morgan said.

She has to drive to 0 Avenue to get to her home and passes Peace Arch park on her way, a patch of grass between the U.S. and Canadian border that on nice days can have a Lollapalooza atmosphere, there are so many people mingling.

“Every weekend you will see a sea of tents as if you were at a festival,” Morgan said. “It's jaw-dropping.

“Do I want these restrictions? Yes! You can speak to anyone in the vicinity of Peace Arch park and the conversation is the same. We're fed up with the disrespect to our homes and health.”

On Monday, Henry told B.C. residents to stay in their immediate neighbourhood as much as possible.

Shane Constantinescu lives in Langley but has a place near Salmon Arm. He went there during the past week because his mom was admitted to hospital.

“On my drive back on Sunday, I noticed a crazy amount of Alberta cars on the Coq headed west,” he said.

Some stores, he added, cater to the Albertans who have recreation property in the area with signs stating: “We won't judge your licence plates.”

Some said Henry hasn't been firm enough, others that she sends out mixed signals.

Why, for instance, are airports open? Chris Wilkinson wondered.

The new variants weren't introduced by someone hiking or meeting a friend for lunch inside a restaurant, he said.