TORONTO (AP) – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday warned that his government could impose stricter restrictions on travelers at any time in response to new, probably more contagious variants of the coronavirus – making it potentially mandatory to stay in a hotel at your own expense placed in quarantine when they arrive in Canada.
Trudeau said at a news conference that such measures could be introduced suddenly and warned directly against non-important trips abroad.
‘Nobody has to go on holiday abroad at the moment. If you’re planning another one, cancel it. And don’t book a trip for the spring break, ”Trudeau said.
Canada already requires those entering the country to isolate themselves for 14 days and present a negative COVID-19 test within three days of arrival. The proposed measure requires that the insulation be at a hotel rather than at home.
Recent variants of the virus that originated in the UK, South Africa and Brazil appear to spread more easily, and scientists say it will lead to more cases, deaths and hospitalizations. They are also concerned about the possible ability to eventually reduce the effectiveness of vaccines.
There is also evidence that the new variant, first identified in the south-east of England, carries a greater risk of death than the original strain, British scientific chief adviser Patrick Vallance said at a news conference on Friday.
Dr Andrew Morris, a professor of infectious diseases at the University of Toronto and medical director of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program at Sinai University’s Health Network, said he prefers to quarantine travelers in a hotel at his own expense.
“It’s uncomfortable for the travelers, but we’m in a pandemic,” Morris said. ‘If you want to protect the borders and do as much as possible to avoid the importation of further problematic tribes, and you want to reduce your case, then this is what you need to do. I think it’s good. It’s late. It’s months late. ”
Morris said the measure would discourage holidays abroad because people do not have to quarantine at a hotel again at their own expense.
He said more and more governments are thinking of ways to be more aggressive because of the new variants, vaccine delays, the challenges of getting the population vaccinated and the strain on healthcare systems.