Canada’s main airlines have agreed to cancel service to the Caribbean and Mexico and the federal government is introducing new mandatory quarantine rules as they try to discourage international travel, according to CBC Canada.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced today that Air Canada, WestJet, Sunwing and Air Transat have agreed to suspend service to sun destinations right away and will be making arrangements with their customers who are in these regions now to organize flights home.
“With the challenges we currently face with COVID-19, both here at home and abroad, we all agree that now is just not the time to be flying,” said Trudeau outside his home at Rideau Cottage.
The prime minister said as soon as possible the government will be introducing mandatory PCR testing at the airport for people returning to Canada, on top of the pre-boarding test already required.
Travellers will then have to wait up to three days at an approved hotel for their test results, at their own expense, which Trudeau said is expected to be more than $2,000.
Those with a negative test will then be able to finish their 14-day quarantine at home, with increased surveillance.
“By putting in place these tough measures now, we can look forward to a better time, when we can plan those vacations,” said Trudeau.
The move is not without precedent. Australia has been requiring most travellers to quarantine at a government-arranged hotel for 14 days for $2,800 AUD per adult and $4,620 AUD for a family of four.
The U.K. introduced similar measures on Thursday and now requires citizens arriving from dozens of high-risk countries to quarantine in hotels for 10 days at their own expense.
Canada has had a ban on non-essential travel into the country by anyone who isn’t a citizen or permanent resident since March, but banning the flow of Canadians in and out of the country is a thornier task.
People who return from abroad for non-essential reasons must quarantine for two weeks, or risk hefty financial penalties or jail time — a measure that’s also been in place since March.
As of earlier this month, most travellers must also show proof of a negative COVID-19 test before arriving in Canada.
They might as well. they that bringing their disease in our region. Keep it over there.
Yes Ibo be France, we support you fully on that. As Ibo says: ” We should diversify by investing in alternative industries. Example, agriculture, manufacturing, tourism, infrastructure, sports, entertainment and decent, trusted, well versed and committed trusted professional Dominicans from all works of life to plot the destiny of our nature Isle Dominica for our people and children to come to take control of our Dominica’ in future years.
Amen, thanks Ibo for your comments. We must engaged many Dominicans to support our dedicated professionals who work in Forestry, protection of our Nature Isle, our distinguished animals and people.
Lol ets get going. For this to happen we must Vote out this failed incompetent lack of leadership Labour government and its failed leader oury of our government.
Dominicans, let us be stand strong and firm.
Gods Blessings 🙏 and Guidance 🙏.
Wake up my people, we need mature visionary Prime Minister. We welcome to Hon. Lennox Linton. Let’s be…
Covid needed us to take a brief lifestyle change to get rid of it. Instead we chose to continue business as usual and now look where we are.
2025 we still gonna be dealing with this.
And yet there are so many Dominicans who continue to ridicule PM Skerrit in his quest to protect his people from the wrath of this deadly virus. I am sure that ignorance is the omen which is driving them through their minds. Lord help us!
Elizabeth, please be advised. No one is nor has ridiculed Skerrit or his failed Government. This failed DLP leadership has failed us big Time.
“Look at where we are, According to Try”.
It’s pretty obvious that we need well deserved and dedicated professionals to manage our Dominica, Government and our people.
We need a chain Government. ASAP. Too much failed Labour leadership and Government. They are not visionary nor are they focus on Socioeconomic development concept.
We need to focus on our human resources and our upcoming young ones that they are aware of our environment and its development as they grow up and protect our government, our people, our country and our agriculture and survival resources.
That’s the focus to enable us the change of this failed incompetent Questionable inmature Labour government. We are in 2020 and not 1975.
This oversized Incompetent Labour government and its obvious failed Prime Minister has failed to us and our Dominica. We hope for that…
Tourism will continue to be be negatively impacted for quite awhile still. This industry is too fickle to be our main revenue earner. We should diversify the economy by investing in alternative industries (manufacturing, technology, medicinal marijuana) etc.
Who cannot hear will feel. The manufacturers have been getting for support for years. They recieve it piece by piece by piece. No comprehensive plan to bring it back. Meanwhile we have seen a number of small agro processors pop with innovative new products particullarly in these Covid times. But they remain cottage sized. They need adequate facilities designed for food production. research and devlopment facilites etc. Agriculture needs to pull its weight. Agro processors hsould have to import raw materials. We need to attract high value technology foreign investors. But what more important is we need to develop the physical locations to house them first. We cannot be scrambling to house them after they reach looking for a place to put them, they will realize we are not ready and go elsewhere, like st lucia, barbados, antigua. We need new industrial sites. linkages between agriculuture and processing. Tourism is done. We need to produce for ourself and export.