Government officials have closed a loophole that has enabled cross-border couples and families to reunite at Peace Arch Provincial Park during the pandemic.
As of 8 p.m. June 18, the park 鈥� located on the South Surrey/Blaine border 鈥� closed and will remain so until 鈥渋t is deemed safe鈥� to reopen it,鈥� a news release issued Thursday morning by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy states.
The closure 鈥渁ddresses the public safety and traffic concerns in neighbouring communities due to a significant increase in the number of park visitors,鈥� the release continues.
The decision was not made by public health officials, Dr. Bonnie Henry noted during her daily update on the pandemic Thursday afternoon.
鈥淚t was not closed because of COVID-19, it was closed because of concerns around numbers of people and issues in the community,鈥� Henry said.
鈥淭he issues are related to COVID-19, but not specifically the risk of transmission.鈥�
The park reopened on May 14, just over a month after all provincial parks were closed as part of actions to help address the spread of COVID-19.
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Since then, parking lots and local access roads have been overwhelmed with nearly twice the number of vehicles compared to peak days in the summer season, resulting in illegal parking, the release states. As well, attendance has doubled over the same period compared to last year, leading to an increase in pedestrians along roadways.
Measures taken to manage the number of visitors 鈥� including increased enforcement, installation of a permanent gate at the park entrance and reducing park hours 鈥� 鈥渉ave not addressed the risk associated with the significant increases in visitors from both sides of the border.鈥�
The release also points to recent exemptions announced to the Federal Quarantine Act, which allow immediate family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents to enter Canada to be with an immediate family member for a period of at least 15 days, as long as they are asymptomatic of COVID-19 and self-isolate for 14 days on arrival.
Those exemptions have been criticized by some as 鈥渘ot helping鈥� those who have jobs or other commitments.
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Henry acknowledged the challenges of being separated, and the opportunity that the park being open created for some to reconnect with their loved ones across the border.
鈥淏ut like the rest of us in the province, we need to find other ways of being able to contact our families and friends and neighbours who live in Washington State and other parts of the world where we鈥檝e had challenges,鈥� she said.
tholmes@peacearchnews.com
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