COVID-19 restrictions on the border will be maintained for at least another month, the Public Health Agency of Canada reported on Tuesday.
The agency made the announcement on Twitter the day after Parliament voted against a Conservative opposition motion to return to pre-pandemic travel rules.
There are several pandemic restrictions at Canadian airports and land borders, such as vaccine warrants, random testing of COVID-19, and the requirement for international travelers to answer pandemic-related questions on the ArriveCan app. Passengers must also wear masks on airplanes and passenger trains.
(1/2) The #GoC expands the current border measures for travelers entering Canada until at least June 30, 2022. More information: pic.twitter.com/mvWsVLLIE4
– Health Canada and PHAC (@GovCanHealth) May 31, 2022
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Specific restrictions vary according to the age, citizenship and vaccination status of travelers.
Business groups and members of the Conservative opposition have criticized the government’s decision to maintain the restrictions, especially at Canadian airports, as provincial restrictions have been reduced elsewhere in the country.
“Unfortunately, the NDP-Liberal government continues to cling to outdated and unnecessary protocols that aggravate delays,” Conservative transport critic Melissa Lantsman said in a statement after her motion was rejected in the House on Monday, referring to an agreement that means the NDP supports it. the Liberals in votes of confidence.
The Canadian Airports Council has blamed massive nationwide customs delays on pandemic measures and staff shortages. In some cases, the alignments are so long that airports cannot physically contain them, so passengers are stuck in planes on the tarmac and let out in small groups.
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“Industry experts from a wide range of disciplines are calling on the government to remove travel restrictions. These restrictions have many impacts on Canadian travel times, our economy and the country’s international reputation,” Lantsman said.
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Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said on Tuesday that COVID-19 public health measures at airports could have some impact on travel delays, but that is not the only reason. Some European airports without COVID-19 restrictions also suffer from delays, he said.
“Obviously there is a discussion to get the right balance, to make sure you keep an eye on public health, but also on the fluidity of our economy,” Alghabra said on his way to a meeting. from the cabinet on Tuesday. “This discussion is in progress”.
As for when the mandates will be lifted, Alghabra said he does not know, but that the government is consulting experts and other jurisdictions.
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Beaches-East York MP Nate Erskine-Smith, a nonconformist in the Liberal caucus, expressed concern Tuesday that the public had not been allowed to participate in the talks.
“Nothing about the reassessment of travel-related measures has been transparent,” Erskine-Smith said in a Twitter feed on Tuesday about her decision to abstain from the Conservative motion.
He said there was no adequate justification for the continued mandate of a two-dose vaccine, for example. Public health officials have repeatedly said since the Omicron variant arrived in late 2021 that the virus was more likely to be transmitted among vaccinated people than its predecessors.
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Public health director Dr Theresa Tam has said the cabinet should re-evaluate the measure as vaccines now provide less protection against transmission, and the government says such re-evaluations are ongoing.
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“If the measures do not reach any public good and contribute to delays, there are good reasons to eliminate them,” Erskine-Smith said.
The NDP has not blamed airport delays on public health restrictions, but says the government needs to address long delays, missed flights and confusion at airports. NDP transportation critic Taylor Bachrach pointed to working conditions and poor compensation being offered to control officers and other airport workers as a factor in slowing down customs alignments.
“The minister must address these factors immediately as part of getting Canada’s airports back to full operation,” it said in a statement on Tuesday.
© 2022 The Canadian Press