Provincial and Federal Health Orders and Notices

Below are some of the Provincial and Federal Health Orders and Notices regarding COVID-19.

Transport Canada: New Mandatory Marine Measures

The qRD issued a media release that summarizes new physical distancing orders from Transport Canada that apply until June 30 to our ferry, local barges and water taxis.

Two key points are:

1. “all commercial marine vessels with a capacity of more than 12 passengers must not engage in non-essential activities, such as tourism or recreation, until at least Tuesday, June 30”
    
2. Ferries, water taxis and barges must reduce capacity to support the 2-metre physical distancing order, or implement other actions to reduce the risk of spreading Covid-19.

“These measures are being implemented Canada-wide to secure the flow of essential goods and services to communities dependent on marine transportation, and to reduce the spread of COVID-19 to isolated areas with limited health care resources.”

This new order is meant to protect isolated areas such as Lasqueti, as well as vessel captains and crew. Essential travel and travel by residents is prioritized on ferries (by Provincial order). The Transport Canada order is consistent with Provincial orders and guidance regarding 2m physical distancing, which reduces capacity on the Lasqueti ferry to 20.

Please avoid non-essential travel, especially on the upcoming long weekend. 

For more information on local response and service info, see: https://lasqueti.ca/covid-19

Andrew Fall, regional director
Darcy Pascall, local emergency coordinator

Liability Protection for Businesses

The Province issued the "Protection Against Liability (Covid-19) Order" that

• protects people who operate or provide essential services from liability for damages relating, directly or indirectly, to COVID-19,
• provided they follow, or reasonably believe they are following, all applicable emergency and public health guidance.

Emergency and public health guidance includes:

• Orders, guidelines and instructions from the Province or Public Health Officers;
• Guidelines of the BC Centre for Disease Control;
• Guidelines of the Public Health Agency of Canada;
• Guidelines of Health Authorities (e.g. Island Health); and
• Guidelines of a regulatory authority or body having jurisdiction with respect to a person operating or providing the essential service.

This order is to help essential services continue to operate by removing some legal risks associated with operations during the state of emergency.

The above links also provide useful additional information on health issues related to COVID-19.

Notice to Water Taxi and Barge Operators

The qRD has put out a notice to water taxi and barge operators as a follow-up to the recent Ministerial Order M084 regarding essential goods and supplies ("Local authorities and essential goods and supplies (COVID-19) order").

Below are key points, whereby water taxi and barge operators are being requested:

• to reduce non-essential travel, and prioritize the transportation of residents and essential goods and supplies at this time.
• to remain vigilant, and conduct regular, comprehensive screening of passengers to ensure those with symptoms are not boarding vessels.
• to ensure physical distancing of a minimum of 2 metres, in alignment with the guidelines set by the Provincial Health Officer.

The qRD Emergency Operations Centre thanks businesses in advance for their understanding and cooperation as our communities work together to limit the spread of COVID-19.

For full details, please read the qRD Notice.

For any updates, please visit the qRD COVID 19 Information page.

Orders from the Provincial Public Health Officier, Dr. Bonnie Henry

The most up-to-date orders and notices can be found at the Provincial Covid-19 site.

Traveller Order

Applies to: anyone who has traveled outside Canada and returned on or after March 12, 2020.

Everyone except essential workers must (among other requirements):

• remain at home, hotel or similar for 14 days
• only leave for essential errands if it is not possible to make arrangements for delivery
• if you do leave, for essential  activity, carry a mask or tissues; if symptoms develop you must use them and return immediately

Essential workers must (among other requirements):

• self-monitor for symptoms
• follow infection prevention and control protocols
• maintain two metre separation from other workers
• self-isolate at home on days when you are not working
• avoid unnecessary visits to public

Ministerial Orders from the Provincial Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General,Mike Farnworth

Below is a summary of the announcement on March 26.

Using the extraordinary powers under the Emergency Program Act, the minister is issuing a series of ministerial orders to ensure a co-ordinated response to COVID-19 across all levels of government for the duration of the provincial emergency. These include:

• Supply chain: Establishing a new Provincial Supply Chain Coordination Unit to co-ordinate goods and services distribution; taking a more active role in co-ordinating essential goods and services movement by land, air, marine and rail; and suspending any bylaws that restrict goods delivery at any time of day.
   
• Protecting consumers: Banning the secondary resale of food, medical supplies, personal protective equipment, cleaning and other essential supplies; and restricting quantities of items purchased at point of sale.
   
• Enforcement: Enabling municipal bylaw officers to support enforcement of the provincial health officer’s orders for business closures and gatherings, in line with offences under the Public Health Act.
   
• Travel: Ensuring all passenger and car-ferry services provide minimum service levels and priority access for residents, and essential goods and workers.
   
• Protecting B.C.’s most vulnerable: Making it easier to support critical services for vulnerable people, like food banks and shelters.
   
• Co-ordination: Suspending local states of emergency specific to the COVID-19 pandemic, except for the City of Vancouver; giving municipal councils the ability to hold more flexible meetings to expedite decisions; and co-ordinating potential use of local publicly owned facilities, like community centres, for self-isolation, testing, medical care, warehousing and distribution.

The most relevant Ministerial Order is M084 "Local authorities and essential goods and supplies (COVID-19) order".

...

Essential services are those daily services essential to preserving life, health, public safety and basic societal functioning. They are the services British Columbians rely on in their daily lives.

Essential services should and are encouraged to remain open. They must, however, follow the orders and guidance provided by the PHO to ensure safe operations and reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19.

Non-essential services: The Public Health Officer (PHO) has ordered some types of businesses to close. Any business or service that has not been ordered to close, and is also not identified on the essential service list, may stay open if it can adapt its services and workplace to the orders and recommendations of the PHO.

Below is a list of key essential services for Lasqueti
(check the official Provincial list of COVID-19 essential services)

Health Services

• All health care services
• Health first responders (paramedics)

Emergency Response Personnel

• First responders and firefighters
• Emergency management personnel at local, regional, and provincial levels

Vulnerable Population Service Providers

• Businesses and non-profits that provide food, shelter, social, and support services, and other necessities of life for economically disadvantaged or otherwise vulnerable individuals, such as:
  • Foodbanks
  • Community kitchens
  • Voluntary and community service providers
  • Residential health facilities
• Care for seniors, adults, children, or individuals with disabilities
• Childcare services for those persons providing essential services
• Caregivers for children in care and out of care
• Elder and disability care, including disabled service support – for physical and cognitive disabled persons
• Residential care for individuals with mental health and substance use challenges
• Residential and care facilities and shelters for seniors, adults, children, and people with disabilities

Critical Infrastructure Service Providers

• Gas stations, diesel, propane and heating fuel providers
• Operations and employees needed to operate and maintain drinking water

Food and Agriculture Service Providers

• Food cultivation, including:
  • Farming
  • Livestock
  • Aquaculture and fishing
  • Businesses that support the food supply chain
  • Community gardens and subsistence agriculture
• Food processing, manufacturing, storage and distribution of foods, feed products and beverages
• Farming supply

Retail

• Grocery and other stores engaged in the retail sale or provision of food
• Farmers’ markets
• Pet or livestock supply
• Home supply
• Hardware and building material stores
• Garden centres and nurseries

Transportation, Infrastructure & Manufacturing

• Supply chain services needed to supply goods for societal functioning
• Workers who support the maintenance and operation of cargo transportation services
• Local, regional and provincial delivery services
• Services to support and enable transportation, including highway maintenance and repair
• Employees who repair, maintain and overhaul vehicles and marine vessels
• Services that facilitate the transportation of essential supplies, personnel and services
• Private transportation services, including taxies and marine vessels
• Public transportation services under rules for physical distancing or other recommendations from the PHO
• Hotels and places of accommodation

Sanitation

• Cleaning services necessary to provide and maintain disinfection
• Waste (garbage and organics) and recycling collection, processing and disposal

Communications, Information Sharing and Information Technology (IT)

• Newspapers and other media services
• Phone, internet, wireless communications and data centres

Non-Health Essential Service Providers

• Feed, water, bedding, veterinary care, veterinary supply, transport and processing services for livestock, animal shelters and pets
• Plumbers, Electricians and Mechanics
• Cleaning services
• Fire safety and sprinkler systems
• Restaurants and other facilities that prepare and serve food, if operating under rules for social and physical distancing or other recommendations from the PHO
• Construction work, in accordance with PHO direction
• Lumber and firewood
• Postal services
• Real estate agent services