Travellers at Toronto Pearson Fined For Refusing Quarantine Hotel Orders

Travellers at Toronto Pearson Fined For Refusing Quarantine Hotel Orders

February 25, 2021 ctn_admin

International travellers coming into at least one Canadian airport have refused to obey Canada’s tough new hotel quarantine rules.

Police in Peel Region said some people arriving at Toronto Pearson Airport flouted the new rules and were fined $880 under Ontario regulations. It’s possible they’ll also be fined by federal authorities.

Police said most cases involving people coming to the airport and saying they won’t go into the mandatory hotel quarantine have been resolved quietly following chats with officers. Others, however, have refused the hotel stay.

The CBC says the police told them that they won’t detain anyone for breaking the rules unless “aggravating circumstances” are involved, such as a criminal offence.

Police also said the Public Health Agency of Canada would be responsible for issuing any potential fines under the Quarantine Act.

The Public Health Agency of Canada told CBC News that the maximum penalties for breaking the Quarantine Act include a fine of up to $750,000 and/or six months in prison.

Under new rules that came into effect on Monday, Feb. 22, anyone flying into Canada is required to undergo a PCR-style test for COVID-19. They’re also required to show they’ve made a reservation at one of the government’s 31 approved quarantine hotels.

After taking their tests, arriving passengers are required to make their way to their hotel and await their test results. If their test is negative, they can continue to their home or other designated quarantine spot, or take their connecting flight to another Canadian city. If their test is positive, they’ll be taken to a separate quarantine facility.

The only way to make a reservation at one of the hotels (there are now 31) of them) is to telephone the American Express Business Travel office in Montreal. Their lines have been swamped, leading to a great many complaints about long wait times or busy signals.

In a related story, four federal members of Parliament are calling on the Trudeau government to end the mandatory hotel quarantine plan following a sexual assault at a Montreal hotel.