Quebecers doubly vaccinated but forced to be in quarantine because they forgot to complete the ArriveCAN application can hardly explain why they must stay at home, when the Minister of Public Security, Marco Mendicino, intervened and that customs officials are now lenient at the borders. They are asking to be released from their compulsory confinement.
“There are a lot of people entering Canada right now even if they forgot to complete the application. But we must be in quarantine, because of a difference of six hours, ”says Guillaume Savard.
On Monday evening, the Minister of Public Security, Marco Mendicino, announced that he had asked the border authorities to be flexible. At the same time, the Montrealer was returning from a trip to New York with friends. Doubly vaccinated and with negative PCR tests in hand, the three had nevertheless forgotten the mandatory step of completing the ArriveCAN application.
The officer at the Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle border post told them that it was not possible to enter Canada without having completed the application and downloaded their vaccination status. He didn’t allow them to do it on the spot, so as not to slow down other people online. “There were only two or three cars behind us”, drops Guillaume Savard.
Immediately after crossing the border, Frédérique Hébert-Soucy, who was part of the trip, for her part tried to convince a representative of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) over the phone to reverse this decision, in s ‘based on the statements of Minister Mendicino. Rather, she was “sent to graze”. “A superior told me that she was not watching the news and was not aware of it,” she says. For his part, Guillaume Savard was told by a representative to “live with the decision of the customs officer”.
The two also attempted to overturn that decision by contacting the Public Health Agency of Canada. Guillaume Savard describes a “non-fluid” discussion with an agent, during which he was recited passages from forms. An exemption request sent to an email address provided to them was unsuccessful. At the end of his rope, he wrote to his MP’s office.
Like others, the two have a hard time understanding why they have to stay locked up at home. A resident of Gatineau doubly vaccinated with whom The duty spoke, and who does not want to be named because he is employed by the federal government, has also been working to have his quarantine canceled for several days. Without success. “A Gatineau police officer even came knocking on my house yesterday to check if I was in my quarantine,” he says.
A superior replied that she did not watch the news and that she was not aware of it.
Purolator recently came to pick up his mandatory Day 8 PCR test, which he had to complete with remote assistance from a nurse. “There is surely a high cost to this whole operation,” he thinks.
Contacted by The duty, Minister Marco Mendicino’s office referred us to the Border Services Agency (CBSA). For its part, the CBSA indicated that it could not comment on specific situations. “Border services officers can help land travelers comply with the requirement to submit their information digitally by allowing the traveler to return to the United States to take the time to complete the ArriveCAN form and return to Canada afterwards. have submitted it. In addition, when operations permit, agents can allow travelers to complete their ArriveCAN form upon arrival at points of entry, ”it writes.
The office of Federal Minister of Health, Jean-Yves Duclos, had not returned our message at the time of writing.