On the advice of Dr. Bonnie Henry, BC's provincial health officer (PHO), Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, has issued a new order using the extraordinary powers of the Emergency Program Act to prohibit non-essential travel between three regional zones in the province, using health authority boundaries. The regional zones are:
1. Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley (Fraser Health and Coastal Health regions);
2. Vancouver Island (Island Health region); and,
3. Northern/Interior (Interior Health and Northern Health regions).
While the order puts legal limits only on travel between regional zones, the PHO's guidance remains unchanged throughout BC: everyone should continue to stay within their local community - essential travel only.
This order will be in effect from April 23 through May 25, 2021, (after the May long weekend). It applies to everyone in the province, including non-essential travelers from outside the province. $575 fines can be given for people not following the travel restrictions. In addition, periodic road checks may be set up on key travel corridors - there will be no random individual stops.