The BC Provincial Health Authority is continually responding to the evolving global health crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic. Travellers to BC will now require a self-isolation plan upon their arrival in Canada to ensure they are following requirements and given the supports they need to successfully isolate.

Note: Travellers will have passed through a health check with the federal jurisdiction (Canada Border Services Agency) in compliance with the Federal Quarantine Act and Provincial Order. Symptomatic travellers are directed to Federal Quarantine at that point.

You will be screening or supporting travellers who pass the health status check to ensure they have an adequate self-isolation plan in place before they exit. This site, along with information from your supervisor, provides all the information you need to fulfill your role.

Your Role

Travel/Self Isolation Standard Operating Procedures for COVID-19 will be effective from April 10th until rescinded, and will be supported by a provincial team. The roles described below detail procedures for Primary Checkpoint Officers and Provincial Accommodation Agents to follow.

If you are acting in another role (such as Greeter, Rover, Translator, and more – see Other Roles for details), this site will still be useful to you. Please review the remaining sections which offer safety procedures, customer service training, and additional resources you may need.

Thank you for serving in this role to support travellers after they have completed federal health screening. As a Primary Checkpoint Agent, you will help travellers to complete their plan to self-isolate for the required 14-day period.

The procedures are subject to adjustment over the next few days.

Thank you for serving in this role to support travellers who do not have accommodation to support their 14-day self-isolation.

  • Travellers who have passed federal health screening will be directed to the Primary Checkpoint Agent to have their self-isolation plan reviewed.
  • If the plan meets health standards, the traveller will be released to carry out their self-isolation plan.
  • If plan does not meet the standard and the traveller agrees to be housed in Isolation Accommodations, the traveller will be directed to you to arrange for the hotel accommodations, including meals and laundry expenses for 14 days to ensure appropriate isolation protocols are followed.
  • Keep all hotel names and locations confidential.

Please follow the Provincial Accommodations Agent Procedures provided to you by your supervisor.

For procedures at land borders, please see documentation in the resources section.

The Screening Process

Below is the screening process that all people entering Canada will follow. You can download a PDF version of this document in the resources section.

the screening process

Exempt and Essential Workers

Federal Essential Workers

People exempted under the Federal list do not need to check in at the provincial checkpoint and do not required a plan. These include:

  • Air crew.
  • Members of a crew employed on a means of transportation to perform duties during a voyage or trip related to operations of transportation or provision of services to passengers.
  • People invited by the federal Minister of Health to assist with the COVID-19 response.
  • Members of the Canadian Forces or a visiting force.
  • People who provide other essential services i.e.:
    • People making necessary medical deliveries.
    • Asymptomatic people in the trade and transportation sector who are important for the movement of goods and people.
    • Asymptomatic people who need to cross the border regularly to work, including in the health care sector or critical infrastructure workers.
    • Asymptomatic people who need to cross the border to provide or receive essential services, including emergency responders and personnel providing essential services to Canadians related to the COVID-19 outbreak.
  • People whose presence in Canada is in the national interest (as defined by federal Ministers).
  • People permitted to work in Caranda as a provider of emergency services.
  • People who provide medical care or who transport essential medical equipment, supplies, or means of treatment.
  • People who enter Canada to receive essential medical services or treatments, other than services or treatments for COVID-19.

Essential Services Workers in British Columbia

These individuals are required to check in at the provincial checkpoint, and do require a plan to self isolate, however if their workplace has a critical need for them to work they can do so. Essential workers are those who provide services considered critical to preserving life, health, public safety and basic societal functioning and who have been determined by the leadership of their organization, on an individual basis, to be critical to delivering essential services according to the following principles:

  • Preventing new introductions of COVID-19 into BC is of paramount importance to limiting the spread of the virus.
  • ALL traveller's from outside Canada are considered potential carriers of the virus and should self-isolate at home or a similar place in which to stay.
  • To preserve essential services consider the risk that a returning worker could pose by endangering the health of multiple other essential service workers, which could jeopardize an organization’s ability to provide essential services.

A detailed list of BC Essential Services can be found here: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/emergency-preparedness-response-recovery/covid-19-provincial-support/essential-services-covid-19.

Screening Questions

Completion of the Online/Digital form will result in two status lights (1) Health and (2) Self Isolation Plan.

1 - Health Status will be green or red

green bullet

Green – No action required


red bullet

Red

  • CBSA will identify this person and send them to federal quarantine process/station.
  • If CBSA did not identify them, direct them to the Quarantine Officer.

2 - Self Isolation Plan will be green or red

green bullet

Green – Some travellers may need help to make further arrangement for their food, medication, cleaning supplies, pet care so they can proceed directly home for self isolation. Service BC will make these travellers a priority to call back; communication supports could be provided to them like 211 services.

red bullet

Red - This status is for travellers who required accommodation or are not planning to comply with the provincial order.

Self Isolation Questions to meet criteria

• Below are the questions that you will be asking all travellers who are entering Canada, and the status results of their answers.

  1. Do you have accommodation arranged for your self-isolation period?
    green bullet

    Yes - Ensure traveller has specified the following:

    • Which city?
    • Address?
    • Isolation type?
      • private residence
      • with family
      • commercial (hotel)


    red bullet

    No - Direct the traveller to visit a Provincial Accommodation Agent for support.

  2. Can you self-isolate from any vulnerable people in your isolation accommodation?
    (i.e. anyone who is over 60 years old or who has heart disease, high blood pressure, asthma or other lung disease, diabetes, cancer, immune suppression or is taking prednisone medication).
    green bullet

    Yes - Travellers are to proceed directly home for self isolation and need to make arrangements for their food, medication, cleaning supplies, pet care).


    red bullet

    No - Traveller are to proceed to the Provincial Accommodation Agent for support. If the traveller refuses Provincial Accommodation Agent support, record the traveller's choice. Service BC will make these travellers a priority.

    Please refer to the 2 page handout from the Ministry of Health you will be provided.

     

  3. Are you able to make the necessary arrangements for your self-isolation period? (e.g. food, medication, child care, cleaning supplies, pet care).
    green bullet

    Yes


    red bullet

    No - Provide support to help the traveller complete their isolation plan, such as advising them to arrange for grocery delivery or calling 211 for seniors’ isolation support, and change status of their isolation plan to complete.

    Please refer to the 2 page handout from the Ministry of Health you will be provided.

  4. What form of transportation will you take to your self-isolation location?

    No action is required. Answers are collected for information purposes only.

    bullet

    Personal Vehicle


    bullet

    Public Transportation


    bullet

    Taxi or Ride Share

  5. Ensure traveller has certified their declaration is accurate.

    If traveller wishes to receive a copy, they must click the PDF button on their device.

How do I protect myself and others while supporting travellers to complete their self-isolation plan?

When you begin your role, you will have an orientation on site safety roles and evacuation procedures. The following protection will be provided to you:

  • Plexiglass barriers at checkpoint and accommodation support desks
  • PPE: Vests, hand sanitizer and cleaning wipes
  • Floor markings to direct physical distance

Workers with Canadian Border Security Agency may wear more personal protective equipment as they may encounter travellers who are not passing health screening. You will serve only passengers who pass federal health screening before entering the checkpoint area.

To keep yourself and others safe, follow the Provincial Health Officer’s recommended precautions for reducing the spread of COVID-19:

  • Do not come to work if you are sick.
  • Maintain a 2-metre physical distance.
  • Practice cough and sneeze etiquette.
  • Practice hand hygiene.

Additional Procedures

medical kit icon

In addition to these standard precautions for COVID-19 or any flu like illness, follow these controls to reduce risk of infection:

Follow procedures for document handling:

  1. Direct families to have only one-person approach the Primary Checkpoint desk.
  2. After touching traveller’s documents, do not touch your face, eyes, mouth, or nose.
  3. Wash hands after handling client documents using soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
  4. Do not eat or drink at your desk or in the area.

Clean your desk area frequently

  • Use regular house hold cleaners as per the direction on the cleaner.
  • Wipe all horizontal surfaces.
  • Ensure handwashing or use of hand sanitizer after cleaning of workspace.

Procedures and Safety Considerations for Land Border Crossing

Customer Service

How do I provide good service to travellers?

Travellers may understandably be stressed during this time. You can be a helpful source of information and influence people who are upset, stressed, and resistant to following direction. The first step is to acknowledge their experience and emotional state. Then help travellers to focus on their future plans to shift them into problem-solving.

Note: You are not expected to resolve a difficult interaction with a traveller who becomes violent, or whose concerns are outside of the support you are able to offer. Please coordinate with the Canadian Border Security Agency to respond to a resistant traveller who becomes high conflict or violent.

  • Maintain a problem-solving relationship. Try to find something you can truly respect about their situation and emphasize that you want to work with them to help solve their problem.
  • Focus on choices and proposals. "Let’s see if we can think of a couple of options – I see A or B. What do you think?"
  • Focus on the future vs. the past. "What can you do next?"
  • Tactfully refer to rules and policies. Travellers don’t want to hear about policy as the first response to a question, even if that is the best answer! First affirm their frustration before informing them about policy and legislation. "I understand your frustration with that. We all must follow this rule. I wish I could help you more."

Anticipated arguments from resistant travellers:

  • "I don’t need to self-isolate, I haven’t come into communication with anyone with COVID-19."

    There are outbreaks of COVID-19 in many parts of the world. A person who has travelled recently is at risk of having been exposed and infected with the virus even if they are asymptomatic upon their return. We are also aware that the virus can spread quickly with close contact between flight passengers so self-isolation upon returning from travel is in the public interest, and will help protect you as well.

  • "I have urgent business to attend to, so I can’t isolate for 14 days."

    This is definitely a challenging time. It is vitally important that exempt workers can continue their work while physically distancing. If your business is included in the list of BC exempt services, you should be able to continue work while following the provincial health orders. If your business is not identified as a BC exempt service, can I help you figure out options for continuing your work while following your isolation plan?

  • "I don’t have to do this/I didn’t have to do this when I travelled to (other country)/Where does it say I have to do this?"

    I understand it can be confusing to be asked to do things differently in different places. This is a COVID-19 Provincial Health Measure ordered by BC’s Provincial Health Officer. Isolation Plan support helps our health system track new cases and outbreaks of COVID-19, and helps to ensure your health as well.

Help

If you have any questions regarding the screening process or anything discussed in this resource, please contact your supervisor.

For any technical issues please contact David Sandor at David.Sandor@gov.bc.ca

Resources

Job Aids for Primary Checkpoint Agents:

Job Aids for Provincial Accommodation Agents:

  • Provincial Accomodation Agents Procedures document, provided by your supervisor.

Procedures and Safety Considerations For Land Border Crossing:

All Roles:

Learn more:

Factsheets and information to Provide to Travellers:

Other information: