Provinces, police enforcing quarantines
Caseload exceeds three million in United States
EDMONTON • As the number of COVID-19 cases skyrocket south of the border, and with outbreaks flaring up across Canada, the provinces and police forces are ratcheting up their enforcement of quarantine rules against Americans, as well as out-of-province travellers.
As of Wednesday, the United States surpassed three million COVID-19 cases, and more than 130,000 deaths, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control.
A recent outbreak on Prince Edward Island, which had no COVID cases, was linked to an American traveller. Late last month, a man in his 20s entered Canada on a student visa. The traveller was turned back at the Confederation Bridge — P.E.I. maintains stringent border requirements — but he then met with a man from the island in Nova Scotia.
That person then returned to the island and spread the virus to three more people. The case prompted calls from politicians such as P.E.I. Premier Dennis King for better co-ordination between the federal government and provinces to prevent travellers from spreading COVID-19.
“When an individual crosses the international border, such as into Toronto, are border agents asking them if your final destination is X? Have you been in touch with that jurisdiction to make sure all of your protocols are met? What we’re trying to determine now is, is that question being asked,” King told media at the time.
The CBSA collects information about those coming into Canada, including contact information and quarantine information, a spokesman said. But the border agency has no authority within Canada, and the Public Health Agency of Canada is responsible for sharing information with the provinces.
“All information collected is shared with (the Public Health Agency of Canada) who determines when and how to share this information with provincial authorities and/or law enforcement,” according to an email from CBSA.
“Should a traveller meet all federal immigration requirements as well as the respective standard of entry under the Orders in Council, the CBSA is bound to provide entry to Canada.”
The agency says that as of July 5, it has turned back 10,104 non-essential travellers trying to enter Canada from the United States since the border closure began on March 21. This figure comprises 8,815 U.S. citizens and 1,289 foreign nationals from other countries trying to enter via the United States.
Of the Americans who were denied entry trying to come into Canada by land, boat or rail, 491 were turned back because they wanted to go shopping. More than 2,000 were trying to get in for sightseeing purposes, and 1,049 were coming for “recreation.”
The bulk of people denied — 4,429 — were coming for unspecified “other” reasons, according to figures provided by the border agency.
But the numbers of people being turned back amounts to a small percentage of those entering.
On the week of June 29 to July 5, 67,326 people tried to enter Canada from the United States at land border crossings. This does not include 87,549 commercial truckers.
Everyone entering Canada for non-essential reasons must quarantine for two weeks. This rule is scheduled to remain in place until the end of August.
Provinces are taking on the enforcement. Nova Scotia has introduced a threestrikes-you’re-out rule, a decision made days after the four Atlantic provinces joined a “bubble” that allows residents to travel freely between New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, P.E.I. and Newfoundland and Labrador.
For travellers from outside Atlantic Canada — Canadian or not — Nova Scotia’s public health officials will telephone them daily for 14 days to ensure they’re isolating. If the traveller misses three of those calls, police will show up to do the check themselves. The fine for violating health protection orders is $1,000 for a first offence.
“We’ve sacrificed too much in Nova Scotia to allow people who won’t follow the rules to put everyone else at risk,” said Premier Stephen Mcneil.
Some rule-breakers have received fines from police. In mid-june, seven Americans were issued $1,200 tickets for stopping to take in the sights of Banff National Park in Alberta after police were tipped off to U.S. licence plates on cars. Six of those ticketed were hiking in the park. The tickets were issued by the RCMP under the Alberta Health Act.
Americans are allowed into Canada if they’re driving onward to Alaska, and can make some stops for food and rest, but not for a hike en route to their final destination.
In Ontario last weekend, two American travellers from Minnesota were fined $1,000 each by the Ontario Provincial Police for breaking quarantine rules and being spotted multiple times in a northern Ontario town.