Why $2,000 for a lodge quarantine? Your thoughts answered about Ottawa’s difficult new travel guidelines

Perplexed about Ottawa’s rigid new guidelines created to discourage travel during the COVID-19 pandemic?

You’re not by itself.

© Nathan Denette/The Canadian Push
It’s unclear however when particularly air travellers landing in Canada will be essential to choose a COVID-19 examination and examine into a quarantine lodge.


Immediately after the federal federal government introduced the new vacation measures on Jan. 29, CBC News was flooded with e-mail from Canadians craving to know additional — including how Ottawa arrived up with a $2,000 lodge quarantine bill.

So considerably, the govt has made available only broad aspects about the new rules, but it promises to provide more information in the coming days.

Here’s what we know now.

Air passenger rules discussed

Some of the government’s new travel measures are by now in put. On Jan. 31, Canada’s significant airlines — in an arrangement with Ottawa — cancelled all flights to Mexico and the Caribbean until April 30.

Several American airlines nonetheless fly from Canada to individuals destinations, but passengers will encounter at minimum a single U.S. stopover together the way.

Canada’s airways are still traveling to the United States, because crucial employees will need to travel among Canada and the U.S. throughout the pandemic, Transport Canada advised CBC Information on Thursday.

Canada-sure passengers must present proof of a damaging COVID-19 examination before boarding their flight, and all flights entering the country are now being funnelled into four big airports in Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver.

In accordance to the federal authorities, most air passengers entering Canada will quickly be demanded to get another COVID-19 take a look at upon arrival and hold out for the results — up to a few times — in a designated hotel. Passengers who check negative can go away and finish the relaxation of their 14-day quarantine at dwelling.

These with optimistic check outcomes will be anticipated to remain in the lodge.

What about the charge?

Travellers will be billed for their resort remain, and Ottawa has advised the cost could be about $2,000. It truly is unclear if two men and women sharing a area would have to shell out double that quantity.

A lot of individuals have questioned how a a few-day continue to be in a resort could total $2,000. The federal government states the quantity would also protect related costs, these as the expense of the test, transportation, lodge stability and extra health and fitness protections for hotel personnel. Presumably, meals would be integrated as very well.

“It really is not just only the charge of a resort home,” General public Safety Minister Monthly bill Blair explained on Jan. 29. He included that travellers should not balk at the value tag.

“We feel that if they’re heading to make that selection [to travel], that they should bear the complete value and accountability of all the measures that are needed to hold Canadians risk-free.”

Any exceptions to the rule?

The authorities has explained that there will be “minimal exceptions” to the lodge quarantine prerequisite, but it hasn’t however laid out who will be exempt. At a information convention on Tuesday, Primary Minister Justin Trudeau instructed that there could be some wiggle space for severe conditions.

“Of course, there may well be certain compassionate or humanitarian exceptions that have to be created in provided predicaments, and we’ll search at all those,” he claimed.

Some snowbirds who have previously received the COVID-19 vaccine in Florida have requested CBC Information if they’re going to be exempt from the lodge quarantine need.

Ottawa states no, at minimum not at this time.

Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public wellness officer, said on Friday that it is really unclear if vaccinated persons can however get the virus devoid of building symptoms and then infect others.

“The scientific theory underpinning the software of vaccines for global travel can’t be created at this time, for the reason that we do not know if the vaccines decrease transmission,” she told CBC News.

When will the resort quarantine rule choose result?

The start out date is still up in the air. 

Transport Minister Omar Alghabra prompt final Sunday that air travellers could be ushered into motels as early as Feb. 4.

But on Feb, 2, Trudeau indicated that it could be months prior to the lodge quarantine necessity takes impact.

“We hope to have that implemented inside the month — weeks to appear,” he said in French at a information conference. “People today are functioning pretty difficult to develop a system so that it is recognized right before men and women start off travelling for the March crack.”

What transpires if I refuse to comply?

In a news release asserting the new vacation actions, the authorities also laid out the fines for breaking the country’s quarantine necessity. Violators could facial area really serious penalties, together with 6 months in jail and/or up to $750,000 in fines. 

What about the land border?

Mainly because the Canada-U.S. land border is shut to non-necessary website traffic, most of the folks at present crossing into Canada by land are vital employees who are exempt from quarantine.

But some snowbirds who flew to U.S. Sunbelt states this winter season shipped their automobiles throughout the border and system to generate again residence.

At this point, the hotel quarantine rule won’t implement to travellers crossing into Canada by land. But the govt has indicated it is really performing on harder principles at the land border, these as a COVID-19 check need for non-critical travellers.

“We are also wanting at means to even further fortify our land border actions,” Trudeau said on Friday. “We are going to have a lot more to announce on this shortly.”