Refusing to self-isolate ‘dangerous,’ Trudeau says

OTTAWA • Canadians who ignored the government’s request to isolate at home after coming back from a trip abroad endangered the lives of others, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday.

Trudeau, in his daily briefing, said while many Canadians heeded the request, there were too many people who played fast and loose with the rules, and because of them, the government had no choice but to turn what had been a request into an order.

“If you’ve just returned from abroad, you have to go home and stay home for 14 days,” Trudeau said. “But some people have not been taking this seriously. They’re stopping by the grocery store on their way home from the airport. They’re getting together with friends after being away for March break. This kind of conduct is not just disappointing, it’s dangerous.”

Outbreaks of the novel coronavirus are much more widespread in other parts of the world, including the United States, Europe and parts of Asia. This raises the risk that people returning to Canada from a trip were exposed to the virus and more likely to spread the illness to others after arriving home.

Cabinet passed an order Tuesday to use the powers under the Quarantine Act to require people arriving in Canada by land, air or sea, to self-isolate for 14 days. Defying the order could result in fines of up to $1 million or three years in prison.

Enforcing the order is a work in progress and will be updated or changed if circumstances require it, said Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer. It will start with random checks for people allowed to quarantine at home, including phone calls from federal and local public health officials. Police can and will be called on to help if someone is found to be violating the quarantine order, said Tam.

“That hopefully will not happen very frequently,” she said. “That is what we are looking for. But under the Quarantine Act we can engage, potentially, peace officers if needed but again, this is more, this is a deterrent, if you like, a serious reminder of how absolutely important it is to undergo self-isolation.”

Canada Border Services Agency agents will be the first line of enforcement, screening arrivals for symptoms of COVID-19 and issuing orders to all of them depending on their health status.