Air travelers to Canada must be quarantined in a hotel from Feb. 22 because they are awaiting the outcome of a coronavirus test, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday.
Trudeau’s previously announced stricter restrictions would be imposed on non-significant air travelers in response to new, probably more contagious variants.
Government officials have confirmed that – with limited exceptions – essential air travelers will be required to book a three-night stay in a government-authorized hotel at their own expense while awaiting the test results.
Those crossing the US-Canadian border do not have to isolate themselves at a hotel, but must show a negative test within three days of arrival and also be tested on arrival at the end of the quarantine of 14 days. at home or elsewhere.
Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said less than 5% of those crossing the border were unimportant. This is one reason why hotel accommodation is not necessary for those going to the country.
The measures are particularly affecting Canadian “snowbirds” that overwinter abroad and return home in the spring.
Health Minister Patty Hajdu said vaccinated Canadians would not be released because research is not yet clear whether those vaccinated can still transmit the virus to others. Some Canadian travelers to the U.S. are vaccinated in Florida and Arizona.
Trudeau said it could take up to three days for test results to be available, and he said earlier that the cost of a hotel stay for air travelers could be $ 1,576. The steep cost of hotel accommodation includes the cost of safety, food and measures that the hotel must take to keep their workers safe.
Travelers will then separate at home or elsewhere if the test is negative. Canada already requires those entering the country to isolate themselves for 14 days and prohibit non-essential travel to the country.
The Canadian Snowbird Assn. said that the cost of hotel accommodation means financial hardship for many people, and travelers who test negative should be quarantined in their homes.
Some Canadians fly abroad before a hotel stay is mandatory. Dr Morley Rubinoff, 71, said he left his apartment in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, about six weeks earlier this year to avoid what he calls “hotel hell.” The semiretired dentist arrived in Mexico on December 31 and plans to stay until mid-March before returning to Toronto.
Theresa Tam, head of public health officials, said on Friday that there were more than 429 cases of a worrying variant first identified in the UK, and 28 cases of the variant first identified in South Africa, was reported in eight provinces. So far, there has been only one report of the variant first found in Brazil.
Although Canada received far more vaccines than it needed to cover its population, it was slow to arrive, much to the frustration of seeing a faster rollout in the neighboring US.
Canadian officials said Trudeau spoke with President Biden about the possibility of obtaining Pfizer vaccines from a plant in nearby Michigan, of which the U.S. government is already receiving the first 100 million doses.
“I think the president was public and certainly private when the conversation came up, that he is now focusing on ensuring that the American people are vaccinated,” White House Secretary Jen Psaki said Friday in a question. said about Canada.
Canada, which does not have domestic production, has been awarded contracts for vaccines from Europe and elsewhere.
Trudeau said he had spoken to the Pfizer CEO and said he had confirmed that Canada would receive 4 million doses before the end of March, as well as 10.8 million doses in April, May and June – more than previously announced.
Trudeau also said Canada is buying another 4 million Modern vaccines and is investigating the possibility of getting vaccines from India.