Border exemptions for British Columbians end Monday night

Cars line up to enter the U.S. from Canada at the Peace Arch border crossing Monday, Nov. 8, 2021, in Blaine, Wash. (AP / Elaine Thompson)

British Columbians impacted by the November floods will no longer be eligible for border-crossing exemptions as of Monday night.

The exemptions put in place to help those trapped by highway closures or impacted by supply chain disruptions will no longer be in effect as of 8:59 p.m. (or one minute before midnight, eastern time).

These exemptions were issued in mid-November, after a series of storms washed out major highways. At one point, the only way to get into or out of B.C.'s Lower Mainland by car was to cross the U.S. border.

Since that time, those busy routes have reopened, and the rules put in place for people who needed to go through the U.S. to get around the closures or pick up essential supplies are no longer needed, the federal government said last week.

As of Monday night, residents of British Columbia are no longer exempt from pre-entry, arrival and Day 8 testing and quarantine requirements for essential trips completed in less than 24 hours.