Airlines

Travellers Will Need To Pre-Book Quarantine Hotel Stay

Beginning Feb. 22, international travellers planning to enter Canada at four designated airports (Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal) are going to have to pre-book a 3-night stay at a government-approved hotel to await the results of the COVID-19 test that they will be required to take on arrival.

Hotel booking information will be available online as of Feb. 18, 2021, and travellers will need to book a hotel in the city in which they first arrive in Canada. If they receive a negative result on their arrival test, they will be able to take a connecting flight to their final destination.

There will be a number of hotels to choose from near each of the four international airports accepting international flights, in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal.

Costs of these hotel stays may vary slightly at each location and it is up to the traveller to choose where they wish to stay and book in advance of departure.

The price will include costs associated with the room, food, cleaning, infection prevention and control measures, and security as well as transportation.

In announcing the new travel and border measures, including further testing and quarantine requirements for international travellers arriving to Canada’s air and land ports of entry, the government made it clear that the new measures will help prevent variants of concern from reaccelerating the pandemic and making it more difficult to contain.

Those measures include the following:

By Land

For travellers arriving to Canada by land, as of Feb. 15, 2021, all travellers, with some exceptions, will be required to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 molecular test result taken in the United States within 72 hours of pre-arrival, or a positive test taken 14 to 90 days prior to arrival.

In addition, as of Feb. 22, 2021, travellers entering Canada at the land border will be required to take a COVID-19 molecular test on arrival as well as toward the end of their 14-day quarantine.

Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, Bill Blair emphasized that: “With these additional COVID testing requirements and safety measures at the land border we are taking extra steps to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and its variants.”

And Minister Blair added: “As we do for air travel, we are now also requiring travellers by land to provide information using ArriveCAN to facilitate processing and limit points of contacts between border services officers and travellers. We’ll always prioritize the health and safety of Canadians as we make decisions.”

By Air

All travellers arriving to Canada by air, as of February 22, 2021, with some exceptions, will be required to take a COVID-19 molecular test when they arrive in Canada before exiting the airport, and another toward the end of their 14-day quarantine period.

With limited exceptions, air travellers, will also be required to reserve, prior to departure to Canada, a 3-night stay in a government-authorized hotel.

That stay will be at the travellers own expense and travellers will be able to book their government-authorized stay beginning on Feb. 18, 2021.

The government also made it clear that the new measures are in addition to existing mandatory pre-boarding and health requirements for air travellers.

Minister of Transport, Omar Alghabra explained: “We’re moving forward with these critical measures to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and the introduction of new variants of the virus into Canada. At the same time, we recognize the importance of the continued movement of goods and the ongoing delivery of essential services in Canada.”

And Minister Alghabra added: “Our government’s response to this pandemic includes necessary measures to protect the health and safety of Canadians while keeping our economy going.”

For Both Air & Land

Also, as of Feb. 22, 2021, all travellers, whether arriving by land or air will be required to submit their travel and contact information, including a suitable quarantine plan, electronically via ArriveCAN before crossing the border or boarding a flight.

Minister of Health, Patty Hajdu said: “I want to thank Canadians who continue to make sacrifices to protect each other from COVID-19. We continue to detect variants of concerns, and this is why we are putting these additional measures in place. Now is not the time to travel, so please cancel any plans you might have.”