Thursday, March 28, 2024
ADVT 
National

New border measures to begin Feb. 22

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 12 Feb, 2021 05:58 PM
  • New border measures to begin Feb. 22

Tighter border controls will come into effect Feb. 22, the prime minister said Friday, not to punish travellers but to try to keep everyone safe.

Forcing new arrivals into a mandatory three-day hotel quarantine — at their own expense — and requiring a COVID-19 test when they get here is meant to help ward off new and more transmissible variants of COVID-19, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said.

Nobody wants a third wave to start, Trudeau said at a news conference outside his Rideau Cottage home.

"Our goal is not to punish people," he said in French.

"Our goal is to protect and to discourage any non-essential travel."

The government had announced the plan for the new border controls last month but how they will work, who might be exempted and how they will be enforced was laid out Friday.

All those coming into Canada for non-essential reasons were already required to quarantine for 14 days and since early January, air travellers have had to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test before boarding their Canada-bound flights.

That requirement is also set to be applied at the land border as of Monday. Beginning Feb. 22, those arriving via the land border must also take another COVID-19 test at the end of their quarantine.

The forced quarantine in a government-approved hotel for air travellers could be followed by a stay in a government-approved isolation facility should they test positive for COVID-19.

Those who test negative can continue on to their previously arranged quarantine location.

The cost of the hotel stay, including the COVID-19 test, transportation and meals, could be as much as $2,000, the government had previously said.

Travellers will be able to book their government-authorized stay starting Feb. 18.

Right now, all travellers, with some exceptions for essential workers, must isolate for 14 days upon arrival, no matter if they came into the country via land or air.

But here is what's known for now:

Air travel

— All incoming travellers must provide proof of negative COVID-19 PCR tests (the kind typically taken with a deep nasal swab) done within 72 hours of boarding their aircraft.

— As of Feb. 22, upon arrival, each traveller will be required to take another test at the airport.

— From there, they must go to government-approved hotels for up to 72 hours, at their own cost, to await the results. Hotels are to begin accepting reservations Feb. 18.

— If that test is negative, a traveller can leave the hotel and continue on to finish quarantine at home or another approved location. They will have to take another test at the end of their time in quarantine and will be given that test to take with them.

— If the arrival test comes back positive, the traveller will be transferred to government isolation facility.

Land border

— As of Feb. 15, each traveller arriving at the land border, with exceptions for essential travellers, will be required to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken in the U.S. within 72 hours, or proof of a positive test result between 14 and 90 days before arrival — long enough ago for the illness to have passed, but not so long that immunity might have waned.

— As of Feb. 22, travellers will also be required to take COVID-19 tests upon arrival. Certain border points will be able to test on-site; if that's not an option, travellers will be given a kit to take home. They'll have to do a followup test 10 days later.

MORE National ARTICLES

Man dead in fatal shooting in Burnaby, B.C.

Man dead in fatal shooting in Burnaby, B.C.
The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says in a social media post that a man was fatally shot just after 10 p.m. Thursday.

Man dead in fatal shooting in Burnaby, B.C.

Snowbirds navigate Canada's travel rules

Snowbirds navigate Canada's travel rules
There is no ban on travel and snowbirds don't think of themselves as vacationers, said Crooks, a professor at Simon Fraser University who's done research for years with snowbird communities in Florida and Arizona.

Snowbirds navigate Canada's travel rules

9 COVID19 deaths for Thursday

9 COVID19 deaths for Thursday
“Today, we are reporting 449 new cases, including three epi-linked cases, for a total of 72,305 cases in British Columbia. “There are 4,317 active cases of COVID-19 in the province. There are 224 individuals currently hospitalized with COVID-19, 63 of whom are in intensive care

9 COVID19 deaths for Thursday

Ottawa OKs Transat sale to Air Canada

Ottawa OKs Transat sale to Air Canada
The COVID-19 pandemic was also a factor since Montreal-based Transat noted it may not be able to continue on its own because of the significant financial challenges.

Ottawa OKs Transat sale to Air Canada

Cut cops, build housing: B.C. rights commissioner

Cut cops, build housing: B.C. rights commissioner
Kasari Govender says the fight against systemic racism in policing should also prompt changes to both the Police Act and the Human Rights Code to ensure protection of those most vulnerable to discrimination.

Cut cops, build housing: B.C. rights commissioner

B.C. to release more funds for oil and gas cleanup

B.C. to release more funds for oil and gas cleanup
B.C. Energy Minister Bruce Ralston says the second half of the funding is set to be dispersed in the coming months after the first $50 million supported about 1,000 jobsand reclamation activities at nearly 1,900 sites.

B.C. to release more funds for oil and gas cleanup

PrevNext