Canada‘s federal transportation minister said on Jan. 31 that the strictest new rules for “mandatory nucleic acid testing on entry into Canada, hotel quarantine, about $2,000 for three days, at your own expense” are coming and could take effect as early as this Thursday (Feb. 4). Transportation Minister Omar Alhabra said in an interview with the CBC, “It could come into effect as early as February 4, there is not yet an exact Time when it will come into effect, but I hope everyone will be ready as early as possible.”
On Friday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced this latest travel ban; starting Sunday (Jan. 31), all Canadian airlines canceled flights to popular Caribbean vacation spots and Mexico until April 30. This series of measures is the strictest and strongest restrictions ever taken by Canada since the outbreak last year. And the previous measure of having to have a 72-hour negative test certificate for the new coronavirus to enter Canada remains in effect.
How was the high quarantine cost of $2000 for 3 days calculated? Trudeau said the money will not only be used to pay for hotel accommodation, but also includes the cost of employees responsible for implementing public safety measures, as well as the cost of implementing preventive and control measures, security measures, testing measures and transportation measures.
Later, Canada’s Chief Public health Officer Wing-Sze Tan further explained the new entry regulations, saying that on the 10th day of the quarantine period, entrants will be tested for a third time. Specifically, passengers entering Canada will be tested for nucleic acid three times in less than half a month: first, within 72 hours prior to entry into Canada, and then only with a negative certificate before boarding. The second time, all international flights to Canada will be limited to four airports – Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal and Calgary – after the new regulations are implemented.
Passengers entering Canada will then be tested for nucleic acid at the airport and will be placed in mandatory quarantine at a nearby hotel for three days pending test results. If the results are negative, the travelers will be allowed to leave for a 14-day quarantine at Home or wherever they report; those who test positive will be transferred to a designated quarantine facility. The third time, on the tenth day of mandatory quarantine. Again, if this time the test is positive, then those travelers will be reopened for a new 14-day quarantine. The DOT says there will be very few exceptions to these rules that will be waived. Moreover, the enforcement of this new regulation will be more stringent than before, and law enforcement officers may visit the house at any time to check, and if found to violate the quarantine law, the consequences may be very serious.
Prior to the announcement of the new entry policy, Trudeau had strongly hinted that a total ban on international flights was already being considered! Ban on international travel! Trudeau said that the federal government has been monitoring the new crown Variant virus, including the Brazilian variant strain, and that “our measures have been very strong, but we’ve always been open to strengthening the necessary measures.” Such a statement seems to have made it clear that Canada is likely to take full-scale measures to seal the country, banning international travel and prohibiting everyone from leaving the country.
The Minister of Transportation confirmed as much in an interview with the CBC. He admitted that the federal government had considered a total ban on flights. Alhabra said the federal government had considered implementing stricter travel restrictions, or even a ban on all flights. But such a move would have a negative impact on the country’s ability to maintain essential supplies and social and economic stability. Alhabra stressed that no answer is perfect, and that the federal government has carefully considered the plan currently being pursued. Alhabra also revealed that Canada is consulting with the U.S. government on further discussions regarding the possibility of requiring travelers entering through land ports to submit negative nucleic acid certificates.
As soon as the new entry regulations were implemented, Canadian snowbirds panicked. Many snowbirds are trying to return home before the new rules take effect in order to avoid receiving a large bill of $2000. Others are planning to stay overseas longer, hoping to return to Canada after the rule is lifted.
Durand, a 50-year-old Quebec resident who is still catnip in Florida, plans to stay in the U.S. longer after the new rules come into effect. “I’m not going to pay the $2,000, that’s ridiculous, that’s enough money for me to stay in Florida for a month”, Durand said. But there are also many people who are worried about not being able to return home because they can’t predict the future direction of the policy, and are urgently changing their tickets in the hope of making it back to Canada before the new rules are implemented instead. Joe Lynn, an Ontario resident who was scheduled to return at the end of March, immediately booked a return ticket for Wednesday, and he and his wife are currently spending the winter in a small town on the west coast of Mexico. Some Canadian travel agents have said they have received many calls in recent days to change their tickets.
Not only Canada, but also China has further tightened its regulations on leaving and returning home as the Chinese New Year approaches. Just now, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs “consular through train” WeChat public number: the recent new pneumonia Epidemic continues to spread around the world, many countries found mutated virus, Chinese citizens still face greater health and safety risks when traveling overseas.
With the Chinese New Year holiday approaching, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs solemnly reminds Chinese citizens to pay close attention to the security alerts and information on overseas epidemics issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and embassies and consulates abroad, and to fully assess the serious risks of cross-infection, stranding abroad and long quarantine periods that may result from current international travel. Reduce travel, visit friends and other non-essential reasons to leave the country, so that “non-essential, non-emergency, do not leave the country”.
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