Ottawa Working on Canadian Travel Reopening Plans

Ottawa Working on Canadian Travel Reopening Plans

May 12, 2021 Jim Byers

Prominent Canadian medical experts say a summer of normal travel may be possible, at least within Canada. And a prominent member of the Trudeau Cabinet says Ottawa is working on travel reopening plans.

Transport Minister Omar Alghabra this week said he understands the frustration in the tourism and travel sectors in Canada, and that Ottawa is working away on reopening plans.

“The work on restarting the travel sector has started, it’s ongoing as we speak,” he said, explaining that the restart will be safe, and gradual. Because so much depends on guidelines from the Public Health Agency of Canada, Alghabra said he can’t provide a timeline.

“But we’re doing all the prepatory work for that.”

“I know it’s frustrating for many industry players and operators,” the minister said. “I understand the anxiety and the sense of urgency. We want to restart. The challenge remains the timing. All I can say is, these measures are temporary. We’re going to see a gradual easing of these measures.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday suggested a normal summer could take place in Canada if vaccinations continue and virus numbers drop. Trudeau said he wants to see 75% of Canadians vaccinated with one dose before restrictions ease.

CTV News reports that nearly 50% of Canadians have received at least vaccination. With a great number of vaccines coming into the country this month and next, there’s reason for optimism.

Speaking with the CBC, two Canadian doctors agreed with the prime minister’s sunny assessment about the summer at hand.

“I actually feel fairly optimistic,” said Dr. Lynora Saxinger, an infectious diseases specialist at University of Alberta Hospital. “I don’t know if I’d be planning something for June, but looking into late July and August, I’d be surprised if we didn’t see an ability to travel within your province for sure, and very likely between provinces.”

Saxinger told the CBC that even if a vaccine rollout is not complete, experience from other parts of the world indicates that transmission drops a lot if 50 to 60% of the population is vaccinated.

“At the moment, it actually looks pretty promising because the rate of vaccination is going up beautifully right now,” she said.

Dr. Philippe Lagace-Wiens, an assistant professor of medical microbiology at the University of Manitoba, agreed that there is “some light at the end of the tunnel.”

Assuming Canadians continue to line up for their jabs, Lagace-Wiens said he “can’t see a medical reason that we wouldn’t be able to travel between provinces.”