Canada to announce new travel restrictions

[damo]

Just remember, the borders aren't really closed. Cross border workers and truck drivers are still crossing in and out of the country on a daily basis, and are equally as likely to be infected with Covid as any other traveler....and they aren't subject to ANY quarantine requirements.

Yup, we can't shut the tap off completely but we can turn it down as much as possible.

 

[newdeal]

Travel restrictions only make sense if the area that you are travelling to has far more cases than the area that you are coming from. There is very little difference that will be made by this. People will replace international travel with other things, and since those other things are occurring in a place with an equal risk profile to what they would have elsewhere, there will be little impact. In fact, for many people there may be a lower risk of getting covid by sitting on a beach than there would be by them going to work instead.

 

[suse66]

Why are millions of rapid tests sitting in warehouses unused, when they could be used to help safely reopen schools, stores, restaurants, travel, etc? Or even just use the rapid tests at LTCH, screening staff and visitors before entry on a daily basis?

The rapid tests often have false negative results. They simply are not as accurate as the PRC test. Believe me, I would love to have more testing and screening. I teach kindergarten and we are currently online (I am just north of Toronto). I would give anything to be back in my classroom. As well, my elderly parents live in PEI and I have not seen them in almost a year.

I would love to be able to travel but strongly believe it is not morally or ethically right to do so at this time. Leisure travel is not essential.

 

[Lperd]

If I base myself with what I have seen the federal government do so far, this will be ineffective from day 1. In Quebec the pandemic spread from travellers from Europe, China and New York. It does not make sense to restrict travel only to Sun destinations and permit travel to other parts of the world. The policy really targets people traveling south and that makes no sense.

And the "sun destinations" are only Mexico and the Caribbean? The last time I was there, Florida and Hawaii were both very sunny. The Caribbean has far stricter Covid measures and far less cases than Florida, but let's stop flights to the Caribbean and keep flights open to Florida?
None of Trudeau's and Kenneys restrictions make sense and seem like political theatre to appease their respective base's.

 

[damo]

And the "sun destinations" are only Mexico and the Caribbean? The last time I was there, Florida and Hawaii were both very sunny. The Caribbean has far stricter Covid measures and far less cases than Florida, but let's stop flights to the Caribbean and keep flights open to Florida?
None of Trudeau's and Kenneys restrictions make sense and seem like political theatre to appease their respective base's.

The Caribbean also has a lot less testing, so it is very difficult to judge. Today's per cent positivity in the Dominican was 22%, Jamaica was 9.8%, Mexico is 38.7% and there is no data for the other countries in the Caribbean. Florida is 10%. Ontario is 3.3%.

 

[Avasmama]

I have no doubt this will become endemic and we will need regular shots, just like for the flu.

Totally, agree. Covid is here to stay, but hopefully in a manageable way.

 

[gisele2]

I have no doubt this will become endemic and we will need regular shots, just like for the flu.

I think you are right .

 

[bookbabe626]

The rapid tests often have false negative results. They simply are not as accurate as the PRC test. Believe me, I would love to have more testing and screening. I teach kindergarten and we are currently online (I am just north of Toronto). I would give anything to be back in my classroom. As well, my elderly parents live in PEI and I have not seen them in almost a year.

I would love to be able to travel but strongly believe it is not morally or ethically right to do so at this time. Leisure travel is not essential.

I‘m a retired secondary teacher who’s still on TDSB’s supply list. Even tests with occasional false negatives would be better than no tests at all, which is what we have right now. At least some of the cases would get stopped at the door. Even tests that caught 50% of cases would be better than no tests, since doing no tests catches 0% of cases. Tests stored away in warehouses do absolutely no good for anyone.

And, since as a teacher you know that every single family situation is different, I’m sure you realize that what might be non-essential for you might not be for someone else. I‘d be happier with the ban if it didn’t look so arbitrary, and if they spelled out exactly what counts as essential in the eyes of the government, since they’re the ones making the rules, not random individuals out on the internet. After all, a good many government officials seemed to think holiday vacations were essential and while some have been penalized, many others have not. And the government has banned flights to/from sun destinations, even though many of those places have a much lower per capita case count than we do, but they’ve left flights to/from many global covid hotspots intact. Doesn’t make sense if the idea is to prevent cases from coming into the country. But maybe that’s not their actual intent...

 

[damo]

I‘m a retired secondary teacher who’s still on TDSB’s supply list. Even tests with occasional false negatives would be better than no tests at all, which is what we have right now. At least some of the cases would get stopped at the door. Even tests that caught 50% of cases would be better than no tests, since doing no tests catches 0% of cases. Tests stored away in warehouses do absolutely no good for anyone.

And, since as a teacher you know that every single family situation is different, I’m sure you realize that what might be non-essential for you might not be for someone else. I‘d be happier with the ban if it didn’t look so arbitrary, and if they spelled out exactly what counts as essential in the eyes of the government, since they’re the ones making the rules, not random individuals out on the internet. After all, a good many government officials seemed to think holiday vacations were essential and while some have been penalized, many others have not. And the government has banned flights to/from sun destinations, even though many of those places have a much lower per capita case count than we do, but they’ve left flights to/from many global covid hotspots intact. Doesn’t make sense if the idea is to prevent cases from coming into the country. But maybe that’s not their actual intent...

You have to be careful using per capita numbers for comparison when the amount of testing can vary greatly. It is better to look at percent positivity and we are lower than Mexico and the Caribbean countries that post those statistics.

 

[bookbabe626]

The Caribbean also has a lot less testing, so it is very difficult to judge. Today's per cent positivity in the Dominican was 22%, Jamaica was 9.8%, Mexico is 38.7% and there is no data for the other countries in the Caribbean. Florida is 10%. Ontario is 3.3%.

And the Cayman Islands has ZERO community spread, but those flights are cancelled too. Their only cases are incoming travellers in quarantine, at a rate of about 3 cases per batch of 200 or so tests (they test everyone arriving on a flight, both at arrival and then after the 14 day quarantine.)

But I can fly to the UK or South Africa, where the current variants of concern are based...or pretty much anywhere in Europe or Asia...huh.

 

[suse66]

I‘m a retired secondary teacher who’s still on TDSB’s supply list. Even tests with occasional false negatives would be better than no tests at all, which is what we have right now. At least some of the cases would get stopped at the door. Even tests that caught 50% of cases would be better than no tests, since doing no tests catches 0% of cases. Tests stored away in warehouses do absolutely no good for anyone.

And, since as a teacher you know that every single family situation is different, I’m sure you realize that what might be non-essential for you might not be for someone else. I‘d be happier with the ban if it didn’t look so arbitrary, and if they spelled out exactly what counts as essential in the eyes of the government, since they’re the ones making the rules, not random individuals out on the internet. After all, a good many government officials seemed to think holiday vacations were essential and while some have been penalized, many others have not. And the government has banned flights to/from sun destinations, even though many of those places have a much lower per capita case count than we do, but they’ve left flights to/from many global covid hotspots intact. Doesn’t make sense if the idea is to prevent cases from coming into the country. But maybe that’s not their actual intent...

I completely agree that testing is 100% the most important thing we can do. I just want it to be the right test, giving the most accurate results. I really feel for families that have been separated due to this pandemic. I know of people who have not been able to go to a funeral or to be with an ill loved one. Those are situations where travel should absolutely be allowed. What I have an issue with are people going on holiday, whether it is to Disney, the Caribbean or even to another province. I am hoping for some normalcy to return later this year, at the very least I need to be able to get to PEI. My mother has Alzheimer's and my father is her primary caregiver. It's a stressful situation all round.

As an avid Disney lover and DVC owner, I would love to be able to be to travel to my happy place. But it's not essential that I do so. We all need to work together in hopes that we can significantly reduce case levels. Then maybe we can travel again.

 

[bookbabe626]

You have to be careful using per capita numbers for comparison when the amount of testing can vary greatly. It is better to look at percent positivity and we are lower than Mexico and the Caribbean countries that post those statistics.

The Cayman Islands doesn’t do much testing on the general population since they have no community spread at the moment. None. They have no cases on island outside of incoming travellers in quarantine. They test 100% of the arrivals to the island, once at landing and once at the end of the 14 day quarantine. I guess you could do the math on that testing, which this week was 3 positive cases out of a batch of 339 tests, so that would be what, just less than a 1% positivity rate? Think that’s definitely lower than ours.

 

[wdwmom3]

I‘m a retired secondary teacher who’s still on TDSB’s supply list. Even tests with occasional false negatives would be better than no tests at all, which is what we have right now. At least some of the cases would get stopped at the door. Even tests that caught 50% of cases would be better than no tests, since doing no tests catches 0% of cases. Tests stored away in warehouses do absolutely no good for anyone.

And, since as a teacher you know that every single family situation is different, I’m sure you realize that what might be non-essential for you might not be for someone else. I‘d be happier with the ban if it didn’t look so arbitrary, and if they spelled out exactly what counts as essential in the eyes of the government, since they’re the ones making the rules, not random individuals out on the internet. After all, a good many government officials seemed to think holiday vacations were essential and while some have been penalized, many others have not. And the government has banned flights to/from sun destinations, even though many of those places have a much lower per capita case count than we do, but they’ve left flights to/from many global covid hotspots intact. Doesn’t make sense if the idea is to prevent cases from coming into the country. But maybe that’s not their actual intent...

The government didn’t ban flights. The airlines all agreed to cancel them. Given the restrictions and so few people who would go to those locations, it’s probably not even worth it to them to fly there right now.

 

[damo]

The Cayman Islands doesn’t do much testing on the general population since they have no community spread at the moment. None. They have no cases on island outside of incoming travellers in quarantine. They test 100% of the arrivals to the island, once at landing and once at the end of the 14 day quarantine. I guess you could do the math on that testing, which this week was 3 positive cases out of a batch of 339 tests, so that would be what, just less than a 1% positivity rate? Think that’s definitely lower than ours.

Sorry, those statistics did not come up for me when I searched. I know they were closed to tourists until at least November but I'm not sure how long they have been open to international tourists or if they even are. Not sure how many people want to travel there if they have to quarantine for a minimum of 14 days or go to prison for 4 months or be fined $10,000?

And kudos to the Caymans for getting their rates way down. Their borders were closed for a long time and their travel restrictions are very strict.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Yup, we can't shut the tap off completely but we can turn it down as much as possible.

As my mom would say, it's like "slamming the barn door shut after the cows have all gotten out".

Sure, you can possibly reduce the number of cases that are brought in the country with travel restrictions. But, you're not restricting everyone so you're not really solving the problem (perhaps that action makes people feel better about the situation, and makes them "feel" like something's being done, but how much does it solve a problem when you have 119 land border crossings between Canada and the USA that are still being utilized, at least to some degree?).

I know the argument will be, "But we have to be able to import and export goods!". Let me assure you there are a ton of things moving across the border, in both directions, that aren't essential by any stretch. It seems nonsensical, given many of the other restrictions, to not start giving a ton of scrutiny to exactly what goods are being transported to and fro. If new strains are the concern, then EVERYTHING that's not essential should be halted (and since the government has not had a problem telling people what kind of travel is or is not considered "essential", they should be similarly equipped to determine what goods also fall within that same category and which ones do not). And cross border workers should be equally restricted from crossing as they, too, pose a risk......perhaps an even greater one than a single-trip leisure traveler, because they are CONTINUOUSLY bringing the risk into each country on a daily basis, with no testing or quarantine requirements.

All it takes is one person to bring in a new strain. These newest rules and restrictions may reduce the risk, but it certainly won't eliminate it. And once it's in the country, the spread and transmission of the virus that follows isn't the solely the fault of the person who carried it there. That responsibility lies with the residents of that country and how well they practice their Covid protocols.

The initial border closures and restrictions, which drastically reduced the number of people traveling, hasn't solved the problem: in fact, cases have ballooned since March DESPITE those closures. As much as I'd like to be proven wrong, I sorely doubt these latest additional restrictions will be the magic cure that everyone wants to see. It's easy to blame the leisure travelers for the current situation but there are a whole lot of other possible carriers/spreaders that have, and will continue to, travel uninhibited and continue to potentially spread the virus as they do so.

I would hate to see cross border workers and truck drivers to be the next groups to feel the sting of the coronavirus effect, but everyone else has been feeling the burn for months, so they honestly should count themselves lucky. If the government is going to take a hard line, it needs to be a hard line for all.

BTW damo, this post was not intended at all to argue with you specifically. Just a starting post to share my thoughts.

 

[bookbabe626]

Sorry, those statistics did not come up for me when I searched. I know they were closed to tourists until at least November but I'm not sure how long they have been open to international tourists or if they even are. Not sure how many people want to travel there if they have to quarantine for a minimum of 14 days or go to prison for 4 months or be fined $10,000?

And kudos to the Caymans for getting their rates way down. Their borders were closed for a long time and their travel restrictions are very strict.

https://www.caymancompass.com/2021/01/29/3-new-covid-cases-among-travellers-2/
They've been open for returning residents and people with ties to the island for a few months now. We have a vacation home in Cayman, so we follow the news there pretty closely to keep track of their border situation and case counts. We would be allowed to go now, but with the quarantine on both ends it’s just not feasible. Luckily, the property manager keeps a pretty good eye on it, but we’ll have a ton of maintenance and repairs to do once we can finally get back there.

 

[gisele2]

It is a pretty delicate subject. Covid is killing and will kill people by different ways, by infecting humans and directly kill them, but the majority will be by lack of access to the health care system. We have an excess of mortality not due to Covid 19, and we will have it for the next years. People who are afraid to go to the hospital, people not being diagnose for cancer, or at a later stage are among the victims. Every little steps counts, when you refuse to see people not living under the same roof, when you go to the grocery store 2 times a month instead of 4 times, when you keep your mask on your mouth and nose etc. So keep your love ones safe, and dream of the next WDW vacation.

 

[mshanson3121]

It is a pretty delicate subject. Covid is killing and will kill people by different ways, by infecting humans and directly kill them, but the majority will be by lack of access to the health care system. We have an excess of mortality not due to Covid 19, and we will have it for the next years. People who are afraid to go to the hospital, people not being diagnose for cancer, or at a later stage are among the victims. Every little steps counts, when you refuse to see people not living under the same roof, when you go to the grocery store 2 times a month instead of 4 times, when you keep your mask on your mouth and nose etc. So keep your love ones safe, and dream of the next WDW vacation.

This. In NB we have never had more than a few people in the hospital at once with Covid. I think our highest was 7 people, and normally it's only 3-4 people, with 1-2 of those in ICU. Covid patients are not overwhelming our hospitals. BUT... what has overwhelmed our system is the number of doctors, nurses and other necessary hospital employees who have been unable to work due to being in isolation after exposure or getting it themselves. At one point we had almost 100 employees out, just in one regional health network - and when you were already short-staffed BEFORE Covid, that's a big problem. Many people had surgeries, tests and other procedures cancelled/delayed/postponed because of it.

 

[ilovetotravel1977]

[

We have a vacation home in Cayman

I have visited Grand Cayman on a cruise and it was beautiful. Can't wait to be able to visit again.

 

[Pumpkin1172]

But I can fly to the UK or South Africa, where the current variants of concern are based...or pretty much anywhere in Europe or Asia...huh.

Exactly!!!! Let's ban people from travelling to a warm tropical climate, but just let flights from Europe, Asia, and UK land here. It makes ZERO sense. It's like trying to put a piece of gum to keep the water from escaping a dam. It is all lip service. Let's find a way to make it look like we are doing something, but it's NOT solving the problem at all.

he initial border closures and restrictions, which drastically reduced the number of people traveling, hasn't solved the problem: in fact, cases have ballooned since March DESPITE those closures. As much as I'd like to be proven wrong, I sorely doubt these latest additional restrictions will be the magic cure that everyone wants to see. It's easy to blame the leisure travelers for the current situation but there are a whole lot of other possible carriers/spreaders that have, and will continue to, travel uninhibited and continue to potentially spread the virus as they do so.

EXACTLY!!!!! All these restrictions are not actually going to stop the virus. Even the steep restrictions in Ontario and Quebec (which are totally unnecessary and uncalled for IMO). I am beyond frustrated with all of it.
At what point do we see an end point to all the restrictions. I don't see one right now. Alcohol and drug abuse are sky rocketing, domestic abuse is also sharply rising and people are living in VERY unsafe situations. Suicide rates are sky rocketing, People are loosing their livelihoods, businesses that they built with so much blood, sweat and tears. People are loosing their homes. Homeless shelters are overwhelmed. The mental health of soooooooooo many people is in jeopardy. But let's just put a piece of gum in the dam to keep the virus at bay The government is stilllllllllllllllllll clueless at how to keep the virus at bay. They are 11 months too late to close ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL boarders. Which is what should have been done 11 months ago. No exceptions....unless there was a VERY rigid strict quarantine when you returned home - TO STAY HOME.

I am tired. My family is tired. My extended family is tired. We are doing what is asked of us. It is coming at a price for us - like so many of us here. We feel that all the things we love to do are slowly being stripped away from us - which essentially they are. Now, it is even hard to even plan or dream of traveling anywhere (even in Canada).

Stepping down now. As you can tell from my rant, I am tired. I feel like we are even farther behind than we were last year at the start of all of this - with zero end date in mind. And the pieces of gum that they government is trying to keep putting into the dam are NOT working.