(CNN) – To curb coronavirus transmission, Canada on Friday announced rules to discourage international travel, especially during spring break.
Most incoming travelers will have to be quarantined at government-approved hotels on their own, and flights to the sunny Caribbean and Mexico will be suspended until April.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made the announcement while his government responded to new and worrying variants identified in several provinces.
“As soon as possible, in the coming weeks, we will present the mandatory PCR test at the airport for people returning to Canada. Travelers will have to wait up to three days at a government approved hotel to obtain the test results, bearing the costs . “, Said Trudeau during a press conference in Ottawa.
Those with negative results will be quarantined at home “under significantly increased surveillance and surveillance,” he said. “Those with positive tests will be immediately required to quarantine at designated government facilities to ensure that they do not carry variants of potential concern.”
These measures increase the mandatory 14-day quarantine for most travelers.
The suspension of Canadian airline flights to the Caribbean and Mexico begins on Sunday and is expected to last until April.