When British Columbia announced temporary travel restrictions on April 23, Anita Alfke was prepared. She lives on Vancouver Island, one of the three health regions designated by the provincial government, and has not been able to leave the island. However, months of pandemic life had prepared them for this particular phase. She works in sales, which has always been remote, and as an actress who usually travels to Vancouver frequently.

Now she can do most of her acting work remotely, working with studios in Los Angeles, New York City and London, saving time on the commute. “Traveling to Vancouver takes a long time. And with that extra time now in a comfortable home environment, I actually find my mental health much better just because I’m not always on the move,” said Alfke.

British Columbia’s restrictions do not limit essential travel between three Consolidation Health Regions: the Fraser-Vancouver Coastal Health Authority Region (a combination of the Fraser Health Authority and the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority), the Northern-Interior Health Authority Region (which includes the Northern Health Authority, the Interior Health Authority, and the Bella Coola Valley, Central Coast, and Hope areas) and the Vancouver Island Health Authority Region. Exceptions apply to trips that are deemed necessary, including business trips.

Penalties and Exceptions

“If it is determined that you have traveled for no material reason, you could be fined up to C $ 575” – approximately $ 476 – said Michael Howcroft, attorney at Blake, Cassels & Graydon in Vancouver. But the provincial authorities “have stated that their goal is to be genuinely preventive and informative, so in many cases they will simply ask you to turn around and go home.”

There are no specific protocols to obtain exemptions from travel restrictions. “I advise my clients that if you have an employee who is traveling from one region to another when they are traveling for legitimate business reasons, first consider whether it is necessary, good public health would suggest you not now Howcroft said. However, if travel is required for the business, he recommends that the employer provide the employee with a letter stating the destination and reason for the trip. Such a letter is not required, but it will make the work trip easier.

Much of the enforcement is based on roadblocks between health regions and working with local government. Some hotels have taken steps to verify that travelers from outside the health region have a significant reason to travel and will not consent to the booking unless a clear reason is given.

However, Krista Bax, CEO of go2HR in Vancouver, the British Columbia (BC) tourism and hospitality association, noted that not all hotels can. “Our tourism and hospitality industry, our lodging industry, is not there to monitor compliance and judge whether an individual’s travel is essential or not,” Bax said. “They play a role in making sure that anyone who books something has the latest advisories and where BC is and what they’re trying to do.”

A balance between health and economy

The tourism industry is trying to strengthen itself this summer in compliance with the current restrictions. More and more communities are realizing that a shutdown may now be necessary to save the summer season. For example, the ski slopes in Whistler were closed in March after an outbreak of the South African variant of COVID-19 and it was decided not to reopen at the end of the winter season.

“They’re planning to reopen for the summer,” Bax said. In the meantime, “the community has asked, please stay away.”

By allowing employees to continue to travel to work during these restrictions, British Columbia is trying to find a way to allow businesses to continue doing business while controlling the spread of COVID-19. “They are trying to strike a balance between maintaining decent business activity while reducing social interactions,” Howcroft said.

With these restrictions and a surge in the percentage of the population being vaccinated, there is hope that the restrictions will be lifted by the end of May, Howcroft said.

Katie Nadworny is a freelance writer based in Istanbul.