Still No Firm Date For New Canada Travel Restrictions; 14-Day Quarantine Not Going Away

February 5, 2021 ctn_admin

Canadians don’t appear any closer to knowing when strict new travel restrictions will take place. And Ottawa is not about to relax its 14-day quarantine rules.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau today promised again that the new rules about mandatory testing for arriving passengers and hotel quarantines will be announced “as soon as possible.” But no dates were mentioned.

There were, however, a few tidbits offered up today by Transport Minister Omar Alghabra and Public Safety Minister Bill Blair.

Repeating the soothing words offered by Trudeau when he announced a week ago that flights from Canada to the Caribbean and Mexico were being suspended until April 30, Blair said he’s “very grateful” and “very appreciative” of the actions taken by Canada’s four major airlines.

Blair said there has been a 46% drop in international air arrivals since the new rules were brought in early in January.

He also said the Liberal government will be “taking additional, significant measures at our land borders,” but that it’s a complicated issue.

Canada has a 9,000 km border with the United States and 117 border crossings, Blair said.

The minister said new measures at land crossings may include a requirement for non-essential travellers at land borders to provide a negative PCR test for COVID-19 taken with 72 hours.

The uncertainty about the rules and when they’ll be brought in has caused a good deal of consternation with snowbirds wintering in the United States and other countries. Blair today promised that Ottawa will provide “ample notice of all new requirements” to ensure that snowbirds are able to comply.

Canadian airlines and tourism officials have argued that new rules that require testing before passengers fly to Canada and then PCR tests for everyone who lands in the country should allow Ottawa to relax the 14-day quarantine law. But Blair put the kybosh to that idea.

“Mandatory 14-day quarantine will stay in place,” he stated.

Speaking after Trudeau finished his remarks, Alghabra said 5,000 individuals have been turned away from entering Canada since new rules came into effect that require all would-be air passengers to present negative PCR tests for COVID-19. Those passengers were refused entry because of the lack of a negative test taken with 72 hours of their scheduled departure, for refusing to wear a mask on board a plane, or for elevated body temperatures, he said.

Alghabra also held out hope for long-awaited help for Canadian airlines.

“We are committed to helping the aviation sector and we continue to work with Canada’s major airlines and airports to ensure we provide the right and necessary support,” he said. “What we have is a comprehensive plan. We will continue to take action whenever and wherever.”

Sunwing Airlines has been given a $375 million loan from a federal agency but there’s been no announcement for Transat, WestJet or Air Canada.

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