Travel rules meant to be a distraction?

DEAR EDITOR:

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced new international travel restrictions that are supposed to stop new COVID-19 strains getting into the country.

On paper, it looks very persuasive: every traveller will have to take a test on the arrival and wait for three days in specially designated hotels the result of the test and then (if all is OK) will be released to continue a quarantine at home. This “welcome home package” is supposed to cost $ 2,000 per traveller (much more than an air ticket itself).

It seems that by making the restrictions unreasonably tough, the government tries to actually ban an international travel.

Health Canada says that international travel accounts for only 2% of all COVID cases; will it really help fighting coronavirus?

Some examples of such disproportionate measures. Many countries already require an antiCOVID test before you get on board of an aircraft. So you are certified of not being ill, but you are still required to pass another test on arrival; so the danger of getting infected is during the flight.

Another issue: 14 days’ mandatory quarantine in Canada and a 10-day quarantine in U.S.. Does it mean that COVID lasts longer in Canada?

What are rules without exceptions? No fun for bureaucrats!

The latest clarification from the government says that foreign temporary workers will be allowed to take their quarantine not in the hotel, but at their working place.

So the government knows that foreign workers provide less danger from the point of new COVID strains than its own citizens.

Then why make this fuss with travel?

Maybe the answer is simple: to blame travellers and to distract attention from local “news” (insufficient number of vaccine doses; alleged future supply shortages; we still do not know when mass vaccination will start and will end, etc.).

For example, we are told about recent recommendation of doctors to delay the required second dose of vaccination to 42 days instead of 21 day as prescribed by Pfizer (because there is not enough vaccines).

Have you ever heard about doctor who prescribes you to take a pill every morning or (at your choice) every third day if you lack a medication?

Is it serious? Will Pfizer extend its “guarantee” of such “extended” vaccination?

The government seems to jump on any measure to show us that it is fighting with COVID irrespective of whether these steps will work or not (show me any analysis or reflections on the efficiency of previous lockdowns). To be fair, it shall be noted that governments in other countries are also totally lost and play “stop-go”/”open-close” policies, thus losing trust of its citizens.

Serge Kouzmin, West Kelowna