Canada cracks down on international travel
JUSTIN TRUDEAU: "The government and Canada's main airlines have agreed to suspend service to sun destinations right away.”
In a race to clamp down on coronavirus amid fears over the spread of more contagious variant - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday announced tough new travel restrictions, saying this is not the time to be flying.
“Air Canada, WestJet, Sunwing and Air Transat are canceling air service to all Caribbean destinations and Mexico starting this Sunday up until April 30th.”
And for those who can still fly to Canada - they’ll have to budget for a stay at a hotel.
“In addition to the pre-boarding test, we already acquire, as soon as possible in the coming weeks, we will be introducing mandatory PCR testing at the airport for people returning to Canada. Travelers will then have to wait for up to three days at an approved hotel for their test results at their own expense, which is expected to be more than 2,000 dollars.”
Starting next week, only four of the country’s airports will be open for returning international flights, and, according to Trudeau, entering Canada by car will soon be harder too.
The new restrictions come as Canada’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout suffered another setback.
Trudeau said Moderna’s next vaccine delivery would be almost a quarter smaller than expected.
Trudeau has faced pressure from provincial leaders to tighten restrictions because travelers who returned from spring break trips last year brought the virus with them.
A second wave of coronavirus is sweeping Canada and health officials say some hospitals run the risk of being overwhelmed unless the country can control the spread.
