Garneau’s quarantine travel raises rule quandary

• Plans for Canada’s foreign affairs minister to take his second international trip in less than a month have raised questions around what’s allowed for those in quarantine and a discrepancy between what Canadians are told and what regulations say.

Marc Garneau’s office says he’s in quarantine after returning from a G7 ministers’ meeting in the United Kingdom last week.

It says he arrived back in Canada on May 6, and stayed for two nights in a government-approved hotel in Montreal, as required by

Ottawa for those entering the country by air to prevent further spread of COVID-19.

On May 18, one day before he finishes his mandatory 14-quarantine, he’s set to leave for the 12th ministerial meeting of the Arctic Council on May 19-20 in Reykjavik, Iceland.

The trip comes as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Public Health Agency of Canada have spent months telling Canadians to forgo non-essential travel to protect themselves and the country from COVID and its more virulent mutations.

Trudeau has characterized Garneau’s second trip as essential, noting that travel required for work is still allowed and the necessary rules will be followed.

Asked about why Garneau,

who was vaccinated back in March, is allowed to exit his 14-day quarantine one day early, Global Affairs Canada pointed to a federal regulation. It reads “a person who is in quarantine after entering Canada by aircraft may leave Canada before the expiry of the 14-day period if they remain in quarantine until they depart from Canada.”

However, that rule is different than what the Government of Canada says on its own website. It says people may choose to leave the country before the end of their 14-day quarantine but, “You must use a private vehicle to depart Canada. You will not be allowed to board a flight if you are currently under a quarantine order.”