Put out a tentative welcome mat, BC to move to Phase Three of provincial restart plan

The province of British Columbia will open up for business just a little bit more now, with Premier John Horgan outlining the next step in the BC Restart plan, which is known as Phase Three.

“Thanks to the hard work and sacrifice of British Columbians, and under the guidance of the provincial health officer, we are now entering Phase 3 of our four-phase restart plan. As we carefully turn up the dial on our activity, we can now look to travel safely around the province. But as we hit the open roads this summer, we must remember we are not leaving COVID-19 behind, and we need to continue to do our part to bend the curve and protect the progress we’ve made.” -- Premier John Horgan

As this phase moves forward, it will feature the re-opening of hotels, resorts, overnight camping and the relaunch of the province's film industry to name a few elements.

The main focus for this third phase is that of travel, with most regions of the province now deemed ready for in BC travel this summer, with a number of guidelines to follow however with the concerns over COVID-19 still part of our conversations.

From their guidance, the province notes:

British Columbians who wish to travel within B.C. this summer are advised to plan ahead and be respectful while visiting communities, especially smaller and rural towns.

The provincial health officer has laid out travel guidelines for everyone travelling to and within B.C.:

Pre-trip planning and research on available resources at arriving destination;
Respecting any local travel advisories to isolated and remote communities;
No travelling for anyone who is sick, and if symptoms develop while travelling – self isolate immediately and contact 811 for guidance and testing;
Practising safe physical distancing of two metres at all times;
Spending time in small groups and open spaces;
Practising good hygiene, including frequent hand washing and cleaning.

Further information on Phase Three and the guidelines and advice for safe travel can be found here.

While we move ahead, we apparently will continue to do so cautiously and still under a State of Emergency, also announced today was the extension of the provincial program that was introduced in March, with the new extension taking the province to July 7th.

"We’re extending the provincial state of emergency, while we work to keep the economy moving and provide more opportunities for B.C. businesses to welcome our communities back. We’ve also introduced legislation that will allow us to put longer-term solutions in place, so we can continue to provide the support British Columbians need to get through this crisis.” -- Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General

More background on today's announcement can be reviewed here.

For more background on the province's response to COVID-19 see our archive page here.