Despite strong urgings from B.C. health officials not to travel afar on the Easter weekend, some people did just that as the province continues to set daily records for COVID-19 cases.
Dr. Bonnie Henry, the province’s health officer, and B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix had urged people not to travel because of the escalating number of COVID-19 cases and an increase in virus variants that spread more easily and can cause worse outcomes, including a higher death rate.
But tourist destination communities such as Tofino and Ucluelet, along Vancouver Island’s west coast, saw an influx of visitors this weekend, at least some of whom were from Metro Vancouver.
The two popular weekend destination communities, north and south of Long Beach, are more than five hours from Metro Vancouver by ferry and road.
Ucluelet Mayor Mayco Noel said Saturday there’s no disputing that the roads, and the region, are busy.
“We’re not the police. And, you know, when you’re going to ask business owners to start ID-ing [visitors], I mean, this is really escalating to another level of government,” Noel said.
Part of the issue is that no provincial order restricting travel exists.
The B.C. government has only made a recommendation that residents don’t travel far on the long weekend, and if they are going to camp or stay in a hotel to do so in their local communities.
Noel believes the province is sending mixed messages when B.C. Ferries puts on extra sailings for the long weekend.
Health officials reported daily positive COVID-19 case counts for two periods, both of which broke previous daily records, on Saturday.
Between Friday and Saturday, there were 1,072 cases, and in the previous daily period 1,018 cases.
Tofino Mayor Dan Law said while the Easter long weekend is not as busy as it normally would be, there is an increase in visitors.
“There’s definitely people from out of our region, out of province,” he said.
Law believes it might have been even busier had it not been for the recent provincial order prohibiting indoor dining in restaurants.
He noted that Tofino still has a few hotels and accommodation places that are shut down because of the pandemic — and others that will not book people from out of province or Vancouver.
It’s why some more thought by the province on how to prevent non-essential travel besides encouraging people to do so could be helpful, said Law.
He said those who have travelled to Tofino and the area, for the most part, are distancing and wearing masks.
Both mayors noted their communities are slated for a complete vaccination in the near future.
Henry, the province’s health officer, said last week that a good guideline is to stay within the area you would go for a day trip, and if it requires an overnight stay or vacation rental, it’s not a good idea.
“This is not the time for any of us to be travelling for leisure or vacation or getaways outside of our community. Travel is still very high risk for all of us,” she said.
