Visitors to be restricted from Haida Gwaii in effort to reduce spread of COVID-19

VICTORIA – British Columbia’s public safety minister says visitors will be restricted from traveling to Haida Gwaii as part of an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

“The Province, Northern Health and the First Nations Health Authority are working closely with the Haida Nation and local governments on Haida Gwaii to respond to this COVID-19 outbreak,” Mike Farnworth said, in announcing the new order.

Non-residents will generally not be permitted on the island unless approval has been granted by Haida Gwaii communities, for the delivery of essential goods and supplies, medical appointments, urgent or emergency family matters, and for the provision of essential services as defined by the unified command structure comprised of the Council of the Haida Nation, village councils and local governments.

The move will affect the operations of three fishing lodges, which recently re-opened despite a local state of emergency that was put in place back in March, restricting non-resident travel to the island.

The lodges insist visitors don’t have contact with locals, and they either come in by boat or by air. But the Haida Nation has been unhappy they continue to operate.

“That’s the communication that’s been consistent throughout from the Haida Nation. We have a state of emergency and non-resident travel is not permitted. The fishing lodges chose to disrespect that,” says Gaagwiis Jason Alsop, Haida Nation president. “Many other service providers have all complied with the measures, and it was really just those three lodges who are really working against that.”

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Alsop says he has been in contact with one of the fishing villages since the provincial order was announced.

“We’ve had discussions so far with the Queen Charlotte Lodge, and they are shutting down operations.”

There is no indication what the West Coast Fishing Club intends to do. It operates two luxury fishing lodges on the island.

There are now 20 cases of COVID on Haida Gwaii, all related to residents who had travelled off-island. Northern Health says the six new cases don’t represent a significant expansion of the current outbreak, and don’t suggest a wider spread of COVID-19. None of the cases have required hospitalization.

– With files from The Canadian Press

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