TORONTO (AP) – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday announced stricter restrictions on travelers in response to new and probably more contagious variants of the new coronavirus – including making it mandatory for travelers to be quarantined in a hotel on their own when arrive in Canada and suspend airline service to Mexico and all Caribbean destinations until April 30.
Trudeau said that in addition to the pre-boarding test that Canada already requires, the government will introduce mandatory PCR testing at the airport for people returning to Canada.
“Travelers will then have to wait up to three days at a hotel approved by the test results, on their own, which must be in excess of $ 2,000,” said Trudeau.
“Those with negative test results will then be able to quarantine at home under significantly increased surveillance and surveillance.”
He said the measure will take effect “in the coming weeks”.
The high cost of staying at the hotel includes the cost of a private PCR test, security, food and the cost of the measures that designated hotels will have to take to keep their employees safe.
“The cost is a stadium. This is not like any other installation. This is a place where there must be infection control measures, security, and other costs as well. It’s not just a regular hotel stay, ”said Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s director of public health.
Tam also said that a test will be required on the 10th day after people return.
The prime minister said that those with positive tests will be immediately forced to quarantine at designated government facilities to ensure that they do not carry variants of particular concern.
Trudeau also said that the government and Canada’s major airlines agreed to suspend service to solar destinations immediately. He said Air Canada, WestJet, Sunwing and Air Transat are canceling air service to all destinations in the Caribbean and Mexico from Sunday until April 30.
“They will make arrangements with their customers who are currently traveling in these regions to organize their return flights,” said Trudeau.
He said that starting next week, all international passenger flights should land at the following four airports: Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary and Montreal.
“We will also, in the coming weeks, require non-essential travelers to have a negative test before entering the land border with the U.S., and we are working to establish additional testing requirements for land travel,” said Trudeau.
Canada already requires those entering the country to isolate themselves for 14 days and submit a negative COVID-19 test done three days before arrival.
Canada’s chief health officer Tam said security contractors will go door to door to check on returnees who are isolating themselves at home.
The move to require a hotel stay on return would discourage holidays, as people would not want to be quarantined in a hotel at their own expense on return.
“It is excellent. It is a pity that it is so late. This is something they could have done a long time ago,” said Dr. Andrew Morris, professor of infectious diseases at the University of Toronto and medical director of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program at Sinai- University Health Network.
“This is definitely a step in the right direction.”
More and more governments are thinking about ways to be more aggressive because of the new variants, delays in vaccines, the challenges of vaccinating the population and tensions in health systems.
Public Security Minister Bill Blair said the authorities have urged Canadians to cancel all non-essential trips and are trying to eliminate them.
“Unfortunately, some are choosing to take non-essential trips. If they are going to make that choice, they must bear the full cost, ”said Blair.
Ontario premier Doug Ford said his province will begin testing at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday as an interim solution until federal measures are in place.
Trudeau also announced that there will be a delay in part of the next shipment of the Modern vaccine, which arrives next week. He said that Canada will receive 78% of the predicted amount, which means 180,000 doses.