by Jim Byers
Last updated: 4:20 PM ET, Fri January 15, 2021
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau isn't closing the door to the idea of an international travel ban.
Speaking to the media today in Ottawa, Trudeau said he thinks the Liberal government has done a good job fighting COVID-19 and has taken the right to approach regarding travel restrictions.
When asked if he would consider a ban on international travel, the Prime Minister replied, "Our measures have been very strong, but we're always open to strengthening them as necessary."
Words like that are sure to spark considerable concern among travel agents and members of the tourism and travel sectors.
Trudeau said the government's mandatory 14-day quarantine for arriving visitors and Canadians has been "extremely effective." But he also said his government is "always looking at various measures as they are effective elsewhere in the world."
Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc made similar comments earlier this month, saying that "any measure that tells Canadians that nonessential travel internationally should not be undertaken is something that we're prepared to look at."
Trudeau on Friday said his government could ban certain flights that might increase the risk of the new variant of COVID-19 coming to Canada, which could include a new variant found in Brazil. Canada last month temporarily banned flights from the UK due to a new variant of the coronavirus.
"We're doing whatever it takes to protect Canadians, including looking at banning certain flights if necessary," Trudeau said today at a briefing outside his Ottawa home. "Decisions must be made based on public health guidance."
A spokesman for Transat said the move would likely mean suspending operations entirely.
"We do believe that safe travel is possible, bearing in mind Transat's Traveller care program and the fact that all travellers are now tested before boarding and must place themselves in quarantine for two weeks," said Christophe Hennebelle, Vice President Human Resorces and Corporate Affairs for Transat. "The government itself acknowledges that travel accounts for a very small portion of COVID cases. It's therefore hard to understand how that would make a difference.
"For Transat, it would probably mean suspending the operations altogether, since we have reduced our program so much already (more than 90% presently). We are very close to the minimum level at which operations can be sustained.
"Such a discussion underlines how critical it is that the government step up rapidly with a comprehensive plan to support the airline and the aeronautics industries," Hennebelle said. "That is critical for the economy, that is critical for tourism in Canada and that is critical for Canada's future connectivity to the world."
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