VICTORIA -- B.C. Premier John Horgan says he’s open to the idea of travel restrictions if public health deems them necessary, and his cabinet will discuss the issue when it meets on Wednesday.
The premier’s willingness to add travel restrictions comes as the province continues to battle high COVID-19 case numbers, and as a set of COVID-19 restrictions are set to expire April 19th.
“We are of course very troubled by the case count over the past ten days,” Horgan said.
“Dr. Henry will be doing a briefing and some modeling on Thursday (and) that will give us a better sense of where we are in terms of the seven day rolling average.”
Horgan faced several questions from reporters on whether travel restrictions and enforcement are necessary to deter people from moving about.
“There are logistical challenges we've talked about over the past couple of months,” Horgan added.
On Monday, Dr. Bonnie Henry urged people to only travel when necessary and said even though outdoor gatherings with up to ten people are allowed, they are being discouraged.
Horgan said he spoke to Alberta Premier Jason Kenney on Monday about a number of issues including how both essential and non-essential travel are impacting case counts in both provinces.
Horgan didn’t specify what types of measures his cabinet may discuss. The premier has received legal advice that says he can’t restrict interprovincial travel. Some critics have suggested that there should be more stringent measures for those traveling into B.C.
“We have not taken anything off the table, but practicality is first and foremost in our minds,” Horgan said.
The provincial health officer has strongly recommended against non-essential travel but B.C. doesn’t have a stay at home order preventing travel.
