Ottawa: The Government of Canada has advised Canadians to avoid non-essential travel outside Canada until further notice.
Many countries have put in place travel or border restrictions and other measures such as movement restrictions and quarantines. Airlines have cancelled flights. New restrictions may be imposed with little warning. Travel plans may be severely disrupted, said a Global Affairs Canada media release.
The government is recommending that travellers find out what options are still available to return to Canada and consider returning as soon as possible. Canadians seeking to return now face reduced commercial travel options and may experience a sudden spike in prices.
$5,000 loan
To help Canadians abroad return home, the Government of Canada is creating a special financial assistance program, the Covid-19 Emergency Loan Program for Canadians Abroad. With this program, Canadian abroad directly impacted by Covid-19 will have the option of applying for an emergency loan of up to $5,000 to help secure their timely return to Canada and to temporarily cover their life-sustaining needs while they work toward their return.
In addition, the government will provide additional support to Canadians directly affected by Covid-19 and unable to immediately return home. This support will be provided through new partnerships with local and other organizations and will complement existing consular services.
The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, yesterday outlined additional actions being taken under the Government of Canada’s whole-of-government response to Covid-19 to limit its spread and to provide support to Canadian travellers.
The Prime Minister also strongly urged Canadians to heed the following recommendations that:
- All Canadians avoid non-essential travel outside the country until further notice.
- Canadian travellers return to Canada via commercial means while they remain available.
- All travellers to Canada self-isolate for 14 days upon entry, with exceptions for workers who are essential to the movement of goods and people.
Covid-19’s spread has affected people in countries around the world. To protect Canadians and to ease the potential burden overseas travellers could place on the health care system and its frontline workers, the Prime Minister announced that, beginning March 18, the Government of Canada will, for air travel specifically:
- Bar foreign nationals from all countries except the United States from entering Canada. The measure would not apply in designated exceptional circumstances, including to air crews, travellers arriving in Canada in transit to a third country, Canadian permanent residents, diplomats, or immediate family members of Canadian citizens.
- Redirect international passenger flight arrivals to four airports: Toronto Pearson International Airport, Vancouver International Airport, Montréal-Trudeau International Airport, and Calgary International Airport. At this time, this measure will not affect domestic flights or flights from the United States, sun destinations such as Mexico and the Caribbean, or St. Pierre-et-Miquelon, which can continue to operate on their regular routes and land at current Canadian destinations. The Government is working closely with the airline industry and airports to avoid unnecessarily disrupting operations and minimize additionally inconveniencing travellers.
- Strengthen screening measures at airports, including stronger and more visible messaging, health screening at kiosks, and enhanced cleaning and disinfection of high-traffic areas and facilities at airports.
In addition, airlines will prevent all travellers who present Covid-19 symptoms, regardless of their citizenship, from boarding international flights to Canada. Airlines will conduct a basic health assessment of all air travellers based on guidance from the Public Health Agency of Canada.
READ NEW MEASURES IN DETAIL
Federal public servants to telework wherever and whenever possible
The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) provided additional guidance to departments and agencies with the expectation that managers will consider telework for all their employees, at all work sites, while ensuring continued critical government operations and services to Canadians.
The government will continue to support federal employees from coast to coast to coast, who are now working around the clock – many of them on the front line– to deliver programs and services and provide guidance based on sound public policy and science.
READ MORE AT COVID-19
Caption: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at yesterday’s Covid-19 press conference.