Travel restrictions to ease July 5 for fully vaccinated passengers
The changes fall well short of the report of the government expert panel, from Canada major airlines call for comprehensive restart plan to reopen borders and end ad-hoc ads
OTTAWA, ON, June 21, 2021 / CNW / – from Canada major airlines have taken note of the federal government’s announcement today July the 5the at 11:59 p.m. EDT fully vaccinated Canadians and permanent residents will be exempt from the hotel quarantine and the mandatory 14-day quarantine. But the industry reiterated its plea that Canada in desperate need of a clear and comprehensive restart plan for international travel and an end to one-off announcements regarding quarantine and border policy changes.
“Relaxing quarantine restrictions for fully vaccinated Canadians and eligible travelers is a step in the right direction, but falls short of the recommendations provided by Health Canada’s Expert Advisory Group report released last month. The government continues to refuse to provide Canadians with a comprehensive restart plan outlining how the measures in the report will be adopted. While other countries like France have already changed their measures to welcome Canadian travelers, we still do not have a clear plan or timeline for Canada,” mentionned Mike McNaney, President and CEO of the National Airlines Council of Canada, which represents from Canada largest airlines (Air Canada, Air Transat, Jazz Aviation and WestJet).
The Health Canada Advisory Panel report, prepared by experts in epidemiology, virology as well as advanced data analysis, is a data and science-based review that calls for a variety of changes to travel metrics and at borders, including elimination of quarantine for fully vaccinated travelers, elimination of hotel quarantine for all travelers, reduction of quarantine for partially vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers, and the use of antigen testing fast. Although Canada has reached a vaccination target of 75% / 20%, today’s announcement did not substantially address these measures.
McNaney also noted that the government’s requirement that children under the age of 18 who are not fully immunized must adhere to a 14-day quarantine runs counter to the approach taken by other countries. “The government repeatedly states that it works with our international partners and follows the science, but pursues initiatives such as mandatory quarantine for minors which is completely out of step with other jurisdictions. In fact, the policy directly contradicts the recommendations issued jointly on June 17 by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, “he said.
“Unlike many other countries, including our G7 partners, Canada has yet to provide a clear restart plan outlining when and how major travel and border restrictions will be removed, especially for fully vaccinated travelers from foreign countries, and how the expert group’s recommendations will be adopted. As immunization programs increase rapidly and jurisdictions around the world offer consumers and industry a clear path forward, we must do the same. Countries that successfully implement a science and data-based testing and quarantine policy will not only protect public health, they will also boost their overall national recovery and take jobs and investment away from countries that do not. not. We need to move now, ”concluded McNaney.
About the National Airlines Council of Canada:
The National Airline Council of Canada represented from Canada largest national and international passenger air carriers: Air Canada, Air Transat, Jazz Aviation LP and WestJet. It promotes safe, sustainable and competitive air travel by advocating for the development of policies, regulations and laws to foster a world-class transportation system. Prior to the pandemic, our members collectively carried over 80 million passengers per year, directly employed over 60,000 people, and were a critical component of from Canada the entire air transport and tourism sector, which has supported more than 630,000 jobs.
SOURCE National Airline Council of Canada
For further information: For media inquiries, please contact: Francesca Iacurto, Senior Director, Public Affairs, National Airlines Council of Canada, [email protected], Telephone: 613.231.7223 ext 104
