For Immediate Release
20-019
May 11, 2020

BC Ferries reminds customers to avoid non-essential travel

Customers are encouraged to stay home and avoid non-essential travel for Victoria Day long weekend

VICTORIA – In keeping with direction provided by the Province of British Columbia last week, BC Ferries continues to advise customers to avoid non-essential travel at this time, including the upcoming Victoria Day long weekend.

Many communities served by BC Ferries have issued advisories to travellers notifying them of limited supplies, healthcare equipment and resources. These communities include Haida Gwaii, Southern Gulf Islands, Northern Gulf Islands and the Sunshine Coast. Customers should inform themselves of local situations and remain committed to essential travel only.

BC Ferries is dedicated to providing a safe and healthy travel experience for its passengers and employees. For those that need to travel, additional measures have been put in place to keep customers and crew healthy and safe including limiting passenger capacity by 50 per cent to support physical distancing, allowing customers to remain in their vehicles during the sailing and enhanced cleaning. Please note all food and retail outlets at terminals and on board our ships are closed until further notice. This includes vending machines.

As routes are operating at 50 per cent passenger capacity, the Southern Gulf Islands – Metro Vancouver route has limited service on the Sunday and holiday Monday. Only customers with bookings and correctly identified passenger numbers are assured they will be accommodated on the sailing.

Transport Canada encourages customers to wear face coverings to cover their mouth and nose during travel if they cannot maintain physical distance from others while on board. In addition, for any route longer than 30 minutes, BC Ferries will continue screening all customers for COVID-19 symptoms and restrict travel to any customer that does not meet the screening requirements, as per the federal guidelines.

As this situation is rapidly evolving, BC Ferries encourages customers to monitor the website for any additional changes to service. For full details on service changes and the measures

BC Ferries is taking in response to COVID-19, visit bcferries.com.

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Media Contact:
BC Ferries, Media Relations
Victoria: (250) 978-1267

Customer Contact:
Victoria: (250) 386-3431
Toll-free: 1-888-BCFERRY (1-888-223-3779)

British Columbia Ferry Services Inc., 500-1321 Blanshard Street, Victoria, BC V8W 0B7
Note to newsrooms: For urgent media inquiries off-hours, call our emergency pager at (250) 516-7211.