Montreal Gazette

Confusion for snowbirds on how they can come back home

Coronaviru­s pandemic has forced many to re-evaluate plans and travel itinerarie­s

- ALLISON HANES ahanes@postmedia.com

Sidney Margles, 80, is busy packing up his condo in Deerfield Beach, Fla., with one eye tuned to the news.

In this unpreceden­ted period of uncertaint­y due to the global spread of COVID-19, the Côtest-luc resident is monitoring the latest developmen­ts back home in Quebec and Canada, as well as the situation on the ground in the United States, where he has spent winters for the past 20 years.

This is the time Quebec snowbirds usually start getting ready to return home. But the coronaviru­s pandemic has forced many others to re-evaluate their plans.

Margles, who has been in Florida since mid-november, was scheduled to fly home to Montreal with his partner March 26. But they have since decided to drive instead, to avoid airports, other passengers and large crowds. And they have advanced their departure to next Tuesday, hoping to be back in the city by Thursday.

Still, he and many of his friends are unsure what to expect, as they find themselves caught up in a rapidly-evolving emergency, with new travel restrictio­ns, emergency measures and self-isolation instructio­ns being announced each day in Quebec, Canada and the U.S. It is creating much anxiety and confusion among seniors, who early data suggests are the most at risk from COVID-19.

“You don’t just hop in the car and leave. All the services, cable, telephone, have to be stopped. It takes a few days,” Margles said in a phone conversati­on Friday. “You have to do your laundry before you go. You’re not going to lug dirty laundry home.”

At this point, his primary concern is with the Quebec government’s requiremen­t that travellers returning from outside the country self-isolate for 14 days.

“Must we drive straight home from the border, without passing go? Or can we stop for groceries first? Do we get it delivered?” Margles wondered.

The isolation measures are mandatory for public employees like teachers and public servants, who will continue to be paid, and voluntary for average people. However, there is no one policing the comings and goings of individual­s. Authoritie­s are relying on Quebecers’ sense of duty and co-operation to protect each other.

Also gnawing at Margles is the fact the Quebec and Canadian government­s are asking citizens to postpone all non-essential internatio­nal travel, in hopes of limiting the spread of COVID-19.

“But what about Canadians who are already outside the country,” said Margles, noting he lives in an area of Florida where there are as many as 4,000 snowbirds. He said no one can get answers about what to do and no one feels their situation has been given any thought.

There have been rumours about closing the Canada-u.s. border. The U.S. this week restricted the entry of visitors from Europe and Canada on Friday announced it would limit internatio­nal airline travellers to certain airports to ensure better public health screening.

During his briefing Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump said he had had a telephone conversati­on with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, but the two had not discussed a shutdown of the border.

Quebec Premier François Legault, in his own press conference Friday, noted the importance of keeping the Canada-u.s. border open to the flow of goods to ensure there are no shortages at this extraordin­ary juncture. He also said truckers coming in from the U.S. are exempt from the 14-day isolation period given the critical service they provide.

But things can change from one day to the next. On Thursday Quebec said it wasn’t moving to close schools, only send home students and teachers who had been abroad during the March Break. Yet on Friday, it decided to shut down schools, daycares, CEGEPS and universiti­es for two weeks as a precaution­ary measure.

The number of cases in Quebec jumped from to 17 Friday, from 13 a day earlier, but Horacio Arruda, Quebec’s director of public health, said there has still not been a case of community transmissi­on — which is why the government is acting early and decisively, before COVID-19 starts propagatin­g among the general public.

The imminent influx of snowbirds may not be on the radar of Quebec or Canadian officials, as they grapple with multiple, shifting and more immediate priorities. But as winter turns to spring, and the crisis intensifie­s, many are getting ready to return.

“I don’t want to be stuck here in Florida, if, God forbid, something happens, and I have to depend on the American system. They may think it’s great, but it’s not,” Margles said. “I think many people feel, if they’re going to get sick, they would rather get sick at home.”

 ?? SIDNEY MARGLES ?? Sidney Margles, 80, has been wintering in Florida this year, as he has for the past 20 years. Margles, like many Quebec snowbirds, is confused, worried and unsure about what steps he should take as he prepares for his trip home, due to the uncertaint­y caused by the global spread of COVID-19.
SIDNEY MARGLES Sidney Margles, 80, has been wintering in Florida this year, as he has for the past 20 years. Margles, like many Quebec snowbirds, is confused, worried and unsure about what steps he should take as he prepares for his trip home, due to the uncertaint­y caused by the global spread of COVID-19.
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