The Canada Border Services Agency revealed that drivers who will proceed to the US border and re-enter the country through Washington State to get around British Columbia’s washed out and flooded highways would be exempted from obtaining a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test.
According to a spokesperson for the federal law enforcement agency, travellers who will drive through Washington State to get to a crossing closer to their respective homes will not be required to undergo quarantine and a COVID-19 pre-arrival test.
Entire sections of the Trans-Canada and Coquihalla highways are still unavailable for use due to the results of the devastating atmospheric river storm that took place on Sunday and Monday. Apart from causing widespread flooding, the “atmospheric river” that hit southern BC led to numerous rockslides and mudslides in the affected areas.
Notably, the storm also caused the forced evacuation of approximately 7,000 Merritt residents due to the Coldwater River’s sudden rise in water levels and twenty-four closures on BC highways resulting from the mudslides and flooding.
While Highway 3 and Highway 99 are closed, officials related that the former could be the first to reopen in the following days. Additionally, officials advise British Columbians to avoid travelling for now due to the current circumstances.
