Premier John Horgan says returning snowbirds and people on repatriation flights have to have a self-isolation plan approved by officials before being allowed to return home.
Speaking on Wednesday, Horgan says it’s not a suggestion but a mandatory directive. The forms for people to report their self-isolation plan to officials will be available on flights as well as online.
“I believe this is a reasonable expectation as you know, all of you who are listening and all of those across British Columbia who are working very hard to bend the curve,” he said.
“We have an expectation for those who are away, as grateful as they are I’m sure to be back in British Columbia, they have to pick up the ball and carry it, just as we all have.”
Horgan says if people do not have an approved plan to self-isolate for 14 days on, the government will arrange to have them put into quarantine for two weeks.
“We need to make sure that all of the work that Canadians have been doing is not erased by a group of people who may come back and not have the same level of perseverance that British Columbians have had to this point in time,” added Horgan.
Health Minister Adrian Dix has on several occasions expressed concerns that some Canadians returning home are not following the mandatory 14-day self-isolation at home, undermining all of the efforts undertaken in the province to stop the spread of COVID-19.
People found violating the federal emergency order may be fined up to $750,000 and could face six months in jail. If a person causes a risk of imminent death or serious bodily harm to another person, they could face a fine of up to $1-million and three years behind bars.
