B.C. residents will no longer be exempt from pandemic-related border crossing rules: Health Canada
Exemptions put in place to help those impacted by the flooding in British Columbia late last year to get home or access supplies will end soon, the federal government says.
Flooding caused by a series of mid-November storms washed out major highways, and at one point, the only way to get out of B.C.'s Lower Mainland by car was through the U.S.
Additionally, highway closures caused supply chain issues. Gas was rationed, and there were concerns about running out of essential supplies.
Because of the impacts, certain rules surrounding the crossing into and out of the U.S. by land were waived for those impacted by the flooding.
Residents of British Columbia could cross into the States to get home or pick up what they needed, and then were exempt from pre-entry, arrival and Day 8 testing and quarantine requirements, provided their trips were no longer than 24 hours.
The exemptions did not apply to non-essential travel, such as taking a vacation, going shopping for items other than the basics, or visiting family.
But many of the damaged highways have since been repaired, or at least fixed in a way to allow traffic to pass through for now.
Because of this, the border exemption will end on Jan. 31 at 8:59 p.m. PT, or one minute before midnight in Eastern Time.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.