Compulsory vaccination of truckers | “Chaos and confusion” following Ottawa communication error

(Montreal) Mixed messages from the federal government about mandatory vaccinations for truckers are wreaking havoc in the transportation community and could further harm supply chains, says the boss of a Canadian industry organization.

The Canada Border Services Agency announced on Wednesday that mandatory vaccinations for truckers entering Canada from the United States would not come into effect on Saturday as planned, but Ottawa backtracked the next day, saying the rule would be finally in force as of Saturday, as announced in November.

The end of the exemption for these workers means they must be fully vaccinated if they are to avoid a two-week quarantine and testing for COVID-19 before arrival.

However, many drivers — some unvaccinated — were dispatched during the 8 p.m. window when the erroneous ad made its way through the industry, the Canadian Company Trucking Association pointed out.

For many drivers, who are typically paid by the mile, quarantine will mean losing a paycheck, said Millian, whose board represents companies with in-house fleets like Loblaws and Home Hardware, as well as those who deliver oxygen to Canadian hospitals.

“We are in favor of vaccines. But the problem is that we cannot look at public health orders in isolation,” he argued.

Mr Millian says government officials told industry representatives in a virtual meeting on Friday afternoon that border agents would be encouraged to use ‘discretion’ when deciding whether to impose a fine truck drivers who were unable to take a COVID-19 screening test before their arrival. But the quarantine rule remains absolute, he added.

“Our point of frustration is that you are making drivers and the industry pay for a mistake made by the government. »

Government officials offered no explanation for incorrect information mistakenly passed to the media on Wednesday night.

The plan to expand compulsory vaccination for truckers and other essential cross-border workers “has not changed”, said Thursday, late afternoon, the Minister of Health Jean-Yves Duclos in a joint press release with the Ministers of Transport and Public Security.

“Our teams have been communicating with industry representatives to ensure they have the correct information. »

Unvaccinated U.S. truck drivers will also be turned away at the border starting January 15, with the United States preparing to impose similar restrictions on Canadian truckers on January 22.

Around 26,000 of the 160,000 drivers who regularly make cross-border journeys will be sidelined due to the vaccination requirement, which will add bottlenecks and lead to potential price increases on transported goods, which range from food to medical devices, noted the Canadian Trucking Alliance and the American Trucking Association.

Federal Conservatives and trade groups representing oil, manufacturing and export companies have called for a delay in the mandatory vaccination of truckers, announced Nov. 19.

Health professionals are pushing for mandatory vaccination across all sectors for the long term, as the Omicron variant of the virus continues to fuel a new wave of COVID-19 cases.