Canadian Prime Minister announces new travel restrictions
Canada’s government has created new COVID-19 measures for incoming travellers. The announcements were made this morning by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Air Canada, WestJet, Air Transat, and Sunwing airlines are required to suspend all flights to “sunny” destinations in central America (ie. Mexico, the Caribbean) effective this Sunday, January 31st. The new measure will be in place until April 30th but could be extended.
Starting next week, international flights can only land in the four (4) main Canadian cities: Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal. Incoming travellers will need to take COVID-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests upon arrival. In addition, incoming travellers are required to stay in a hotel that is designated by the federal government at their personal expense for three (3) days while awaiting test results. Trudeau estimates that the estimated costs for travellers will be $2,000 CAD. Travellers must treat these days as a quarantine and not leave their rooms. If the test is negative, travellers must then finish the remaining eleven (11) days quarantining at home – for a total quarantine period of fourteen (14) days. If the test is positive, travellers will need to stay at a designated government facility.
Trudeau also announced that all travellers entering Canada from the land U.S. border, will need to be tested upon arrival and demonstrate a negative test.
These new restrictions will be in place to minimize travel and to protect the health of Canadians. These announcements come ahead of the upcoming spring break for students. International travel has increasingly become a concern due to the new strains of COVID-19 appearing in the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Brazil.
Canada also requires all international air travellers aged five (5) years or older provide proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test done within 72 hours of the planned departure. All incoming travellers must also have set plans on where they will be spending their fourteen (14) day quarantine period. Travellers to Canada must also use the ArriveCAN app to send information to Canadian border services officers.
The current travel bans on foreign and U.S. non-essential travel are in effect until at least February 21st, 2021.