Today, January 29, 2021, Prime Minister Trudeau announced that Canada is in the process of introducing further restrictions on travel into Canada by air and land.
Effective Sunday, January 31, 2021, Canadian airlines will be suspending service to the Caribbean and Mexico destinations until April 30, 2021.
International flights will only be authorized to land at one of four airports: Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, and Montreal.
The prime minister said the government will be introducing mandatory PCR testing at the airport for people returning to Canada "as soon as possible in the coming weeks." That is on top of the pre-boarding test already required.
Travelers will then have to wait up to three days at an approved hotel for their test results, at their own expense, which Trudeau said is expected to be more than $2,000.
Those with a negative test will then be able to finish their 14-day quarantine at home, with increased surveillance. Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam added that returnees will also be swabbed on day 10.
She also said travelers who have been vaccinated abroad will still have to observe the quarantine rules but added that is currently under discussion.
Canada has had a ban on non-essential travel into the country by anyone who is not a citizen or permanent resident since March but banning the flow of Canadians in and out of the country is a challenging task.
Proof of a negative Covid-19 test result will soon be mandatory at the land border. It is not yet clear if the test must have been taken in the 72 hours before arriving at the border. This 72-hour condition is in effect for all air travel to Canada.
