If you are hoping to travel on the BC Ferries moving forward, make sure you have a non-medical mask handy.
Starting Monday, June 15, the BC Ferries will be requiring every passenger to be in possession of a non-medical mask or face covering with them, including those driving on.
Customers will have to confirm with staff that they have a mask before boarding the vessel. According to the BC Ferries, anyone who doesn’t have one will not be allowed to travel and the organization will not have any extras available.
The directive for requiring face masks has come from Transport Canada in an effort to help minimize the risk of spreading COVID-19.
BC Ferries said that the face masks or coverings should fit “securely to the head with ties or ear loops” and should be made of at least two layers of tightly-woven material fabric like cotton or linen. Masks and coverings must also be large enough to “completely and comfortably cover the nose and mouth without gaping.”
Passengers under the age of two are exempt from this new rule, however, all others must have a mask on any sailing that is longer than 30 minutes.
People who can’t wear a mask for health reasons will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
BC Ferries continues to operate at 50 per cent capacity also per Transport Canada directives, but has recently resumed some sailings, including the Nanaimo to Horseshoe Bay route.
BC Ferries says they will also continue to screen customers for COVID-19 symptoms and restrict travel who do not meet the requirements.
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