Canada to quarantine travelers, suspend flights south

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday announced stricter restrictions on travelers found in response to latest, likely more contagious variants of the novel coronavirus - including so that it is mandatory for travelers to quarantine found in a hotel at their own expense when they arrive in Canada and suspending airline service to Mexico and all Caribbean destinations until April 30.

Trudeau said in addition to the pre-boarding test Canada previously requires, the federal government will end up being introducing mandatory PCR assessment in the airport for people returning to Canada.

“Travelers will then have to wait for up to three days at an approved hotel for his or her test results, at their own expense, which is likely to be more than $2000,” Trudeau said.

“Those with adverse test outcomes will then be able to quarantine at home under drastically increased surveillance and enforcement.”

The steep cost for the hotel stay includes the cost for an exclusive PCR test, security, food and the cost of measures the designated hotels must try keep their staff safe.

“The cost is a ballparking. This isn’t like any other facility. This is one where there should be infection prevention control measures, security and other costs aswell. It’s not simply a regular stay at a hotel,” explained Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer.

Tam also said a good test will be needed on the 10th day after persons their return.

The prime minister said those with positive tests will be immediately necessary to quarantine in designated government facilities to ensure they’re not carrying variants of particular concern.

Trudeau also said the government and Canada’s main airlines have agreed to suspend service to sun destinations immediately. He explained Air Canada, WestJet, Sunwing, and Air Transat happen to be cancelling air service to all or any 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 arrange their return flights,” Trudeau said.

He said starting next week, all international passenger flights must land at the next four airports: Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary and Montreal.

“We will also, in the returning weeks, be requiring nonessential travelers to show a negative test out before entry at the land border with the US, and we are working to stand up additional testing requirements for land travel,” Trudeau said.

Canada already requires those getting into the country to self-isolate for two weeks and to present a poor COVID-19 check taken within three days before arrival.

Tam, Canada’s top health official, stated that security contractors will come to be going door-to-door to check on returnees who happen to be isolating at home.

The move to need a hotel stay upon return would discourage vacations as people would not want to quarantine at a hotel at their own expense after return.

“It’s remarkable. It’s a shame it’s this late. That is something they could have done ages ago,” explained Dr. Andrew Morris, a professor of infectious diseases at the University of Toronto and the medical director of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Method at Sinai-University Wellbeing Network.

“This is unquestionably a step in the proper direction.”

An increasing number of governments are thinking about ways to be more aggressive because of the brand new variants, delays found in vaccines, the challenges with obtaining the population vaccinated and the strains over health care systems.

Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said officials have already been urging Canadians to cancel all nonessential travel and are trying to eliminate it.

"Unfortunately, some happen to be making the choice to engage in nonessential travel. If they are going to make that choice, they should bear the entire cost,” Blair said.

Trudeau also announced you will have a delay partly of another shipment of the Moderna vaccine, which arrives in a few days. He explained Canada will receive 78% of the expected amount, translating to 180,000 doses.