Canada announced stricter restrictions on travelers including a mandatory $2,000 hotel quarantine, multiple tests, increased ‘surveillance’ and banning all flight to Mexico and the Caribbean.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the new measures on Friday in response to the more contagious variants of the novel coronavirus.
Starting next week, all international passenger flights to Canada must land at four airports: Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary and Montreal.
In addition to pre-boarding negative tests that Canada also requires, travelers will be tested at the airport on arrival and be forced to quarantine in a hotel at their own expense until the result three days later.
Following a negative result they will be expected to quarantine at home, with expanded ‘surveillance and enforcement’ and another test on the tenth day.
Trudeau said the travel restriction measures will start ‘in the coming weeks’ but airline services to Mexico and all Caribbean destinations are immediately suspended until April 30.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, pictured at Rideau Cottage in Ottawa on Jan. 22, has announced stricter restrictions on travelers to Canada
All flights to Mexico and the Caribbean have been immediately suspended until April 30. Pictured Vancouver International Airport on January 28
The new restrictions require all international passengers to fly into one of four airports, Vancouver, pictured, Toronto, Montreal or Calgary, and be tested on arrival
Arrivals to airports, pictured Pearson Airport in Toronto on January 26, will be forced to quarantine in a hotel at their own expense. It is designed to deter people from taking holidays
All passengers will be expected to be tested on arrival, pictured are staff in PPE kit at Toronto’s Pearson airport on January 26
Returning traveller Alain Wiesenthal has a COVID-19 test done at Pearson Airport in Toronto on Tuesday January 26, 2021. Wiesenthal was returning from an essential trip to Israel via New York
Trudeau said that the hotel stays could cost as much as $2,000 Canadian dollars, around $1,576 American dollars, due to added security, food and safety measures to protect staff.
He said: ‘Travelers will then have to wait for up to three days at an approved hotel for their test results, at their own expense, which is expected to be more than $2,000. Those with negative test results will then be able to quarantine at home under significantly increased surveillance and enforcement.’
He said the measure will be take effect ‘in the coming weeks.’
The steep cost for the hotel stay includes the cost for a private PCR test, security, food and the cost of measures the designated hotels will have to take to keep their workers safe.
Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada´s chief public health officer, said: ‘The cost is a ballparking. This isn´t like any other facility. This is one where there has to be infection prevention control measures, security and other costs as well. It´s not just a regular stay at a hotel.’
The new measures have been brought in as a response to new, highly contagious variants of the novel coronavirus
Tam also said a test will be required on the 10th day after people return.
The prime minister said those with positive tests will be immediately required to quarantine in designated government facilities to make sure they’re not carrying variants of particular concern.
It’s excellent. It’s a shame it’s this late. This is something they could have done ages ago.
Dr. Andrew Morris, a professor of infectious diseases at the University of Toronto
Trudeau also said the government and Canada´s main airlines have agreed to suspend service to sun destinations Mexico and the Caribbean right away.
He said Air Canada, WestJet, Sunwing, and Air Transat are cancelling air service to all Caribbean destinations and Mexico starting Sunday until April 30.
‘They will be making arrangements with their customers who are currently on a trip in these regions to organize their return flights,’ Trudeau said.
Mexico´s Foreign Relations Department said in a statement that ‘the government of Mexico expresses its hope that the measure recently announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau can be withdrawn as soon as possible, in order to avoid a deep economic crisis in the North American Region.’
Trudeau said they were working to include ‘additional testing requirements for land travel’.
Canada already requires those entering the country to self-isolate for 14 days and to present a negative COVID-19 test taken within three days before arrival.
Tam, Canada´s top health official, said that security contractors will be going door-to-door to check on returnees who are isolating at home.
The move to require a hotel stay upon return would discourage vacations as people would not want to have to quarantine at a hotel at their own expense upon return.
Dr. Andrew Morris, a professor of infectious diseases at the University of Toronto and the medical director of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program at Sinai-University Health Network, said: ‘It’s excellent. It’s a shame it’s this late. This is something they could have done ages ago. This is definitely a step in the right direction.’
More and more governments are thinking about ways to be more aggressive because of the new variants, delays in vaccines, the challenges with getting the population vaccinated and the strains on health care systems.
Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said officials have been urging Canadians to cancel all nonessential travel and are trying to eliminate it.
‘”Unfortunately, some are making the choice to engage in nonessential travel. If they are going to make that choice, they should bear the full cost,’ Blair said.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said his province will begin testing at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport on Monday as a stop gap until federal measures are in place.
Trudeau also announced there will be a delay in part of the next shipment of the Moderna vaccine, which arrives next week.
He said Canada will receive 78% of the expected amount, translating to 180,000 doses.