The BC Attorney General on Friday revealed additional rules for the province’s “unprecedented” travel ban between selected health regions.

In particular, Mike Farnworth talked about roadside checks carried out on motorway corridors that connect the three regions. Under the new rules, the North Health and Internal Health Authorities will be considered one region, as will the Vancouver Coastal Health and Fraser Health Regions.

Farnworth said road checks are only done on freeway corridors connecting these zones and not in places like downtown Vancouver.

Those stopped at a road check may be asked to provide their name, address and license, as well as secondary documentation, such as: E.g. a document confirming your home address if you have recently moved.

No travel documentation is required, although the police can ask verbally about the purpose of the trip and passengers are not required to provide any information.

“If the police have reason to believe that you are leaving your regional zone or are already traveling outside of your health authority for non-essential purposes, they can instruct you to stay in your area or leave the authority at that time. Farnworth said.

Failure to meet the requirements at a roadside checkpoint could result in a fine of $ 230, while violating the travel order will result in a fine of $ 575.

“The main goal of these road checks is to educate and discourage people from traveling for non-essential reasons,” Farnworth said.

He also said while travel within health authority areas such as Island Health is not restricted by law, Victoria residents should not travel to Comox Valley, for example.

“The message is still clear,” said Farnworth. “Stay there.”

He also addressed concerns about such road checks, which disproportionately affect racist communities, saying that pedestrians are not stopped for arbitrary checks and that police are not empowered to record personal data unless enforced.

❌ The police are NOT authorized to punish people at the checkpoint. A fine is only imposed if the person does not follow instructions to stay in their area.

– Kori Sidaway (@korisidaway) April 30, 2021

The road checks are carried out by a special department put together by the BC RCMP with new resources and funds from the province. The BC RCMP ‘E’ Division will decide where the road checks will take place.

Farnworth said traffic at BC Ferries was down more than 25 percent across the fleet on the first weekend the travel restrictions were in effect.

However, there will be no road checks at the BC Ferries terminals going to Vancouver Island. Farnworth said ensuring that passengers travel for essential purposes is left to BC Ferries staff and regional police “as needed”.

Hotel operators and resort communities have also told the province that visitor numbers outside the region have “dropped significantly”, while BC Parks has reported more than 5,000 cancellations in the past few weeks.

The National Police Federation previously criticized the order, saying it was not clear enough and its RCMP members in BC were at risk of public backlash and exposure to the virus due to slow vaccination protection for officials.

However, the Federation President said Friday in response to Farnworth’s announcement that many of his concerns had appeared to have been addressed.

“We are pleased that this order addresses many of our concerns and has been significantly reduced from the minister’s original enforcement proposal. It is information focused and encourages people not to travel between regions,” said Brian Sauvé. “We will continue to work with the RCMP on its implementation and address member concerns.”

The BC Civil Liberties Association has said that indigenous, black and racialized communities could be at risk of negative harmful effects when dealing with the police.

However, on Friday Farnworth claimed the province had solicited input from racialized communities.

“It was about outlining the steps we wanted to take to also communicate some of the issues they raised,” he said.

The travel ban expires on Tuesday, May 25th at 00:01 a.m.

The following is a full list of Health Ordinance exemptions, including two additional exemptions introduced on Friday (in bold).

  • Pursuing a work-related purpose, including volunteering
  • Moving to another primary residence or assisting someone with this move
  • commercial transport of goods
  • Receiving health or social services, or assisting others in obtaining those services
  • present court
  • Compliance with a court order
  • Spend parental leave with a minor child
  • Access to child care
  • Travel to avoid the risk of abuse or violence
  • Visiting a key visitor or a social visitor as directed by the Department of Health in a document entitled Department of Health – Overview of Visitors in Long Term Care and Assisted Living for Seniors, which went into effect April 1. 2021
  • Attending classes or receiving training in a post-secondary institution or school
  • Responding to an emergency or critical incident, including incidents involving search and rescue
  • Providing care or support to a person in need of care or support because: they have a mental, behavioral, or health condition; or
    a physical, cognitive, or mental impairment.
  • Visiting an important visitor as directed by the Department of Health in a document entitled Department of Health – Overview of Visitors in Long Term Care and Assisted Living for Seniors, which was in effect on April 1, 2021
    Attending a funeral service
  • Travel under the authority of a derogation from an order issued by the Provincial Health Commissioner under the Public Health Act if the derogation was made prior to the entry into force of this section
  • Travel by residents of the local Bella Coola Valley or Central Coast health areas to Port Hardy for essential goods and supplies
  • Hope local health district residents travel to Chilliwack for essential goods and supplies
  • Travel by residents of the Nisga’a Health Authority area to the Northern-Interior Health Authority area
  • Return to your main residence

This Canadian press report was first published on April 30, 2021.