Face masks will be mandatory on sailings, says BC Ferries

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — You will soon need to wear a mask if you plan on sailing with BC Ferries this summer.

Starting June 15, passengers will be required to wear face coverings in situations when two metres of physical distancing is not possible.


BC Ferries made the announcement Monday, saying it applies to routes longer than 30 minutes and all passengers over the age of two. This includes those travelling in vehicles.

“Passengers will be asked to confirm they have a face covering and are willing to wear it when necessary,” BC Ferries says, adding that it will not be supplying any masks to passengers prior to boarding.

“If a passenger answers ‘no’, or fails to answer, they will be unable to travel.”

Face coverings must comfortably cover your nose and mouth, fit securely to your head, and be made of at least two layers of fabric such as cotton or linen.

BC Ferries continues to operate at 50 per cent capacity per Transport Canada regulations, but has recently resumed some sailings. Nanaimo to Horseshoe Bay restarted on June 3 with limited sailings, while Langdale to Horseshoe Bay sailings increased on June 5. Other routes will slowly reopen this month.

Passengers will continue to be screened for COVID-19 symptoms and restricted from travel if they do not meet screening requirements.

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