Premier restricts travel in bid to slow virus spread
Measures include random police spot checks and fines for violators
Sweeping new travel restrictions announced Monday by Premier John Horgan will slap fines on people travelling outside their health authority and encourage tourism operators and B.C. Ferries to cancel the reservations of out-of-region travellers.
B.C. will bring in an order on Friday that means people could face a fine for non-essential travel outside their local health authority, with checkpoints across the province. No details were provided on how much the fines will be. The measures will be in place until after the Victoria Day long weekend, at which point B.C. hopes to have given first doses of the COVID vaccine to more than 60 per cent of adults.
B.C. Liberal Leader Shirley Bond slammed the move, saying she wasn't told about it during a regular meeting with the provincial health officer on Monday morning.
“It came as a complete surprise,” Bond said.
“The premier has had months to deal with the issue and consider potential travel restrictions. First it was on the table, then it was off the table, there was a legal opinion, can't do it, we're not like other jurisdictions. Then today an announcement with zero details. People don't know whether they can drive to work on Friday morning.”
Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth will issue orders under the Emergency Program Act that will allow police to do random roadside spot checks, Horgan said, not unlike those that target impaired drivers over the holiday season. People can still travel outside their health region for work, school or medical appointments, Horgan said.
“They will be random and there will be a fine if you were travelling outside of your area without legitimate reasons,” Horgan said. “Everybody will be asked where they're going and where they came from.”
He said the province will consult with Black and Indigenous leaders and people of colour to ensure the new restrictions don't disproportionately target racialized people.
“This is about travel,” Horgan said. “There will be no additional authority given to police.”
Ontario Premier Doug Ford on Saturday walked back some of the travel and movement restrictions announced in that province the previous day after facing near-universal condemnation.
The initial measures allowed police to arbitrarily stop people, ask for their address and their reasons for not being at home. Many police departments said they wouldn't enforce the orders and civil liberties advocates warned the measures would increase racial profiling.
Harsha Walia, executive director of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association, said with scant details about the exact order, she's concerned Horgan is using the pandemic to increase policing powers.
“The devil is in the details. But on the face of it, I'm not clear what the distinction is between B.C. and Ontario's (restrictions),” Walia said. “Both the province of Ontario and the province of B.C., again on the face of it, seem to be expanding policing powers that are arguably over-broad and unconstitutional.”
Horgan said B.C. tried to learn lessons from other jurisdictions such as Ontario to avoid the same pitfalls.
“It is not our objective to go into a state where we're watching and monitoring everyone's activity,” Horgan said. He said B.C. won't bring in “heavy handed” measures that can't be enforced or jeopardize public confidence.
Horgan also said the province is working with tourism operators and rental accommodation owners to ensure they're not taking bookings from visitors outside their region. This is voluntary for now, Horgan said, but he said orders could be brought in if tourism operators aren't complying. He said the industry has been co-operative.
B.C. Parks will also cancel the reservations of out-of-region visitors and provide refunds, Horgan said.
B.C. Ferries won't add additional sailings over the May long weekend and will cancel bookings for recreational vehicles. The ferry service will contact passengers who have booked reservations to ask them if their travel is essential.
There will also be signs at B.C.'s border with Alberta asking people not to come into B.C. unless it's for essential travel.
“When it comes to travel, Dr. Bonnie Henry has been saying for months and months and months, `Stay in your territory, stay in your community,'” Horgan said. “This is not the time to load up the Winnebago and travel around British Columbia.”
Horgan stopped short of announcing quarantine requirements for out-of-province visitors, such as has been used by Atlantic provinces and northern territories to limit the spread of the virus.
B.C. Green Leader Sonia Furstenau said she's happy residents “now finally have real clarity from the government around the expectations that they have of people when it comes to travel.”
Henry also announced Monday that the “circuit breaker” restrictions on indoor dining at pubs and restaurants and indoor group fitness will be extended until the end of the May long weekend.