Article content continued

That measure of capacity does not reflect how many people are on board, Marshall said.

“You have to keep in mind commercial vehicles. For example, one driver and, you know, you think of a semi is like 75 feet long, so that takes up a lot of deck space,” Marshall said.

B.C. Ferries is considered an essential service and is used to transport goods between the mainland and island communities.

While the company is asking people to avoid all but essential travel, B.C. Ferries does not have the authority to deny travel based on its purpose. But it is screening people and refusing to board anyone who has symptoms of COVID-19, or has been refused boarding in the past 14 days due to a medical reason related to COVID-19.

At a daily update on the province’s response to COVID-19, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said she is heartened that most people are following the recommendation to stay home and avoid non-essential travel.

“I want to say thank you for staying home and avoiding putting unnecessary strain on small communities around the province,” she said.

Henry also said there are many valid reasons why someone might need to travel and reminded British Columbians to “be patient and kind with each other.”

“I know that most people are doing the right thing… so I don’t believe there is a need for stepped up enforcement, or lockdowns or any of those types of measures,” Henry said.

regan-elliott@timescolonist.com

B.C. FERRIES BY THE NUMBERS

B.C. Ferries passenger counts on its main routes, Friday, April 10.