Stricter health measures come into effect at borders, airports
A new Canadian health order requiring a threeday hotel quarantine for air travellers got off to a rocky start on Monday, as some passengers complained of long waits to access the hotel-booking system.
Across Canada and abroad, travellers spoke of disconnected calls and hours or even days waiting on the line to make a reservation, forcing some to cancel their flights altogether.
Markham, Ont., resident Anuja Sharma, who flew to India roughly two weeks ago with her mother and her sister to resolve a legal issue with a family property, said Monday her family had yet to secure a spot, despite having spent hours on hold with the booking line.
“Collectively, between my husband and me, we’ve spent 14 hours on the phone,” she said in an interview from India, adding that neither she nor her husband got through.
“I completely understand the quarantine requirements ... but if the government comes up with some rules, they should have a supporting plan,” Sharma said.
At the Montreal airport on Monday, Loveline Akonbeng, who landed on a flight from Brussels, said it took her sister three days waiting on the phone for multiple hours to finally get through. “Three hours of waiting and sometimes the line would cut off by itself,” said Akonbeng, who described feeling “panicked” as her trip neared its end.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said the tighter border controls are meant to keep everyone safe, not punish travellers. Friday Trudeau acknowledged there had been issues with the phone lines but said the problems would be cleared up shortly.
The hotel stays, which must be paid for by the travellers, are just one of a series of measures that came into effect on Monday to limit the spread of COVID-19 and the introduction of variants considered more transmissible.
Most incoming air travellers will need to get tested for the virus upon arrival and again toward the end of their mandatory 14-day quarantine. Travellers arriving at land borders will be given self-swab kits, and testing will be provided on-site at five high-volume border crossings.