Trudeau announces suspended sun flights, mandatory hotel quarantine for travellers

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced new travel restrictions on Friday, aimed at discouraging travel and reducing the spread of more infectious variants of COVID-19.

Trudeau says all Canadians returning from abroad will quarantine in an approved hotel for three days at their own expense, while they await results of a COVID-19 test taken at the airport.

Trudeau says that requirement could cost each traveller more than $2,000.

Those with negative test results will be able to quarantine for the rest of the mandatory two weeks at home, while those with positive tests will isolate in designated government facilities.

Canadian airlines are cancelling flights to sun destinations, @JustinTrudeau says, starting Sunday. @CHCHNews

— Lisa Hepfner (@LisaHepfnerCHCH) January 29, 2021

He also announced that Air Canada, WestJet, Sunwing, and Air Transat will suspend service to all Caribbean  destinations and Mexico starting Sunday until Apr. 30.

Starting next week, all  international passenger flights must land at only four airports – in Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary, and Montreal.

Airlines will be making arrangements with customers who currently on a trip in these regions to organize their return flights, Trudeau said.

“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,” Trudeau said Friday.

“By putting in place these tough measures now, we can look forward to a better time when we can all plan those vacations.”

In the coming weeks, non-essential travelers will also have to show a negative test before entry at the land border with the United States.

Non-essential travel into Canada by most foreign nationals has been banned since the pandemic first began sweeping across the country last March.

Anyone entering the country has been required to self-quarantine for two weeks.

Trudeau also said Friday that provinces and territories will get $1 billion to help further shield schools from infections, including sanitizer and better classroom ventilation, as well as support for online learning and remote classes.

This is the second installment of federal funding through the Safe Return to Class Fund.

The first installment was paid out last fall as schools reopened across the country for the first time since March.