In Ottawa, the opposition calls the introduction of mandatory COVID-19 testing for all travelers, except those from the United States, who arrive in Canada by plane, a “mess”. Despite this new measure and the threat of the Omicron variant, some Quebecers are planning to fly to sun destinations this winter.
Mandatory screening tests do not hold back Dylanne Sévigny, who will travel to Mexico next week. She believes that taking a test on arrival in Canada is even “reassuring”. ” I left [en voyage] this summer too. My entourage was a little surprised that I did not get tested when I arrived, ”she says.
Federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos announced on Tuesday that all travelers arriving in the country by plane, except those from the United States, will have to undergo a screening test. Travelers, whether adequately vaccinated or not, should then self-isolate until they receive their test result.
Tuesday, Mr. Duclos had said that this new measure would be introduced across the country “over the next few days”. Ottawa will pay the cost of these mandatory screening tests.
New restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19 could be added and have an effect on the conditions of return of globetrotters to Canada, also warned the Minister of Transport, Omar Alghabra.
A statement that does not prevent Quebeckers from planning their next trip. Stéphanie Girardeau plans to travel with her partner after the holiday season. But she will be attentive to the evolution of the pandemic before obtaining a plane ticket. “It can change so quickly because we can say to ourselves: ‘Yes, there we want to go’, and after January, we can no longer go out. [du pays] “, she says.
Not all are so serene. The announcements made by Ottawa worry Jessica Bernier, who plans to fly to Hawaii on December 26.
If a quarantine is reimposed, my employer will not allow me to stay out of work for another two weeks.
Jessica Bernier, who has planned a trip to Hawaii
For her part, Anne-Marie Desforges has decided to cancel her trip to Mexico, scheduled for the holiday season. “I only have 24 hours of free time after my return,” she said in writing to Press. She couldn’t risk receiving her test result after that time, as she had to get back to work. “If the test was a quick test, I wouldn’t have canceled my vacation,” she adds.
Remember that travelers who have visited South Africa, Eswatini, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Malawi and Egypt are no longer authorized to return to Canada.
Canadians and permanent residents returning to the country after visiting one of these 10 countries must undergo a 14-day quarantine upon arrival.
” It’s a mess ”
In Ottawa, during question period in the House, the Conservative opposition gave the government a bad quarter of an hour, accusing it of “improvisation” and criticizing it for having no understanding of what is going on in the city. the country’s airports.
“There is a world of difference between what the Minister of Health says and what is actually happening on the ground. There is no consultation with the airports and little consultation with the provinces. Short, […] It’s a mess ”, railed Conservative MP Luc Berthold to Minister Jean-Yves Duclos.
His interlocutor dodged. “Regarding the confusion, I regret to say that just a few days ago, my colleague called for all border tests to be stopped,” the minister mocked, adding that he ” It would be interesting to know how many Conservative MPs have still not received one of the 61 million doses of vaccine administered in the country ”.
A little later, at a press conference, Mr. Duclos declined the invitation to offer advice for people who imagine themselves on a beach in a few weeks.
Minister Duclos, on the other hand, insisted on the fact that “the situation can evolve very quickly”, recalling that the Omicron variant was not on the radar just a few days ago.
As questions multiplied showing that several gray areas remain, he preferred to focus on the positive – namely that screening capacity has “jumped 60% since Monday”.
Rather, she is the chief administrator of the Public Health Agency of Canada, the DD Theresa Tam, who admitted lip service the existence of a blur. “It is true that the requirements are rather complicated, and I think we will have to publish information on a website to help travelers,” she said.
Following the intervention of the DD Tam, the federal government has released four infographics illustrating the different scenarios that will await travelers upon arrival at Canadian airports.
With the collaboration of Joël-Denis Bellavance, Press
Use ArriveCan, even for a 24 hour trip
It is essential that all Canadian travelers enter their information in ArriveCAN (on the web or through the app) up to 72 hours before their return home, even for a day trip. A father, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisal, and his 14-year-old daughter learned about it the hard way. On Sunday, the duo left for New York with a friend of the teenager and the father of the latter, to attend a concert. Upon their return to the Canada-US border Monday morning, the parents realized that they had failed to enter their information in ArriveCAN, and were imposed a two-week quarantine by customs. “For us, as professionals, that poses a problem. But it is above all [dérangeant] for our daughters, to miss two full weeks of school just before the Christmas exam period ”, laments the father. Travelers who do not have a smartphone must complete the ArriveCAN form on “any personal or public device” that provides access to the Internet, such as a laptop or tablet, the Agency said in writing. public health in Canada Press.