by Jim Byers
Last updated: 5:01 PM ET, Tue April 20, 2021
Border closures and Canada's quarantine laws are with us for another month.
Authorities on Tuesday announced a one-month extension of the closure of the U.S. border until May 21. They also said the mandatory 14-day quarantine program for all travellers and the required three-day quarantine hotel program for air travellers will be extended.
Tourism and travel authorities in Canada and overseas had been hoping for better news, but the recent surged in COVID-19 cases across the country spurred the extension announcements on Tuesday.
In a note posted to their Twitter feed, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) said that "to protect the health and safety of Canadians from COVID19, all testing and quarantine measures for those arriving to Canada by air, including the three-day hotel stopover, will be extended until May 21, 2021." They also said that "all current testing and quarantine measures for those arriving to Canada by land, unless exempted, will be extended until May 21, 2021."
Writing on his Twitter feed, Canadian Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said that "restrictions on non-US international travel into Canada have been extended until May 21st, 2021." Earlier in the day he announced on Twitter that the land border closure with the U.S. also is being extended another month, a policy confirmed on the U.S. Border Patrol website.
Canada's travel, testing and quarantine measures are "extremely important, which is why we're keeping them in place," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters.
"Once again, I want to be very clear," Trudeau said on Tuesday. "This is not the time to travel. All travellers returning to the country by land or air will continue to be subject to rigorous measures to ensure the safety of others. e are extending by one month, until May 21, the enhanced measures currently in place.
Trudeau thanked both Air Canada and WestJet today for voluntarily stopping flights to sun destinations through the month of May (with the exception of cargo flights).
On another note, the Prime Minister said he hopes to be able to attend the G7 leaders meeting in England, which takes place June 11-13. The fact he's still considering flying overseas in June was encouraging to Beth Potter, President and CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada.
"That to me gives hope that we will see the ability for the rest of us to be to travel again soon. But there's still a lot of work to do," Potter said. "We have to be very cognizant of the fact it's going to be a very hyper-local summer this year and we look forward to the day that we actually get a date for when we can start planning to open the border."
Canadian law requires that anyone flying into one of the four international airports that are open in Canada (Toronto, Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver) present a negative COVID-19 test before they fly. They're also tested when they land and are required to show a hotel booking for an approved airport hotel for three days for a mandatory quarantine period while awaiting their test results. If they test negative for the virus they can finish their 14-day quarantine at home. If they test positive, they're sent to a government facility for the rest of their quarantine.
The hotels can cost upwards of $2,000 for three nights, including food. There have been a litany of complaints about hotel food, security and service. But the rules are here to stay for another month, at least.
Canadians and visitors who cross into Canada by land have to quarantine at home or at another facility for 14 days, but don't have to stay at an approved hotel or pay those hotel costs. That has prompted some passengers to fly into U.S. airports and drive or be driven over the border and into Canada.
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