In the midst of a coronavirus outbreak and recent announcement urging Canadians to postpone or cancel non-essential travel, some Canadians are wondering if they should still take the risk.
All cruise ships carrying over 500 passengers are banned from landing in Canada until later in the summer, and arriving flights will also be restricted to landing at specific airports.
Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer, said in a press conference on Friday that there are now 157 cases of the virus in Canada, and travel is affected as a result.
“My advice is to postpone or cancel all non-essential travel outside of Canada,” Tam said.
“This means reconsidering your vacations. By making the choice to stay at home and not travel outside of Canada, you are protecting yourself, your family and doing your part to slow the spread of the virus.”
The Public Health Agency of Canada releases travel health notices with the potential risks to Canadian travellers. They range from level one, meaning to practise normal precautions, to level four, which urges people to avoid all travel to high-risk countries.
Lesley Paull, owner of Edmonton-basedPaull Travel, said people should definitely cancel or reschedule their trip to a country with a level three or four notice such as China, Italy and Iran.
“To go somewhere and you’re going to be worried the whole time, … that’s just not fun,” Paull said.
2:14 Travelling during a viral outbreak
Travelling during a viral outbreak
Despite these travel advisories, some people are taking advantage of cheap flights and travel packages amid the outbreak.
Julie Jackson booked a trip three weeks ago to celebrate her daughter’s high school graduation. She said they saved about $400 each for their flights to California in July.
“I would definitely have fear if I was going to Europe, the U.K. or Australia,” said Jackson, who lives in Vaughn, Ont.
Others who once had no intention to scrap their travel plans are now considering rescheduling or cancelling altogether.
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Vanessa Neshevich, 37, booked a vacation with her husband and a friend to Italy in June.
When the Toronto resident paid for the flights and hotels last month, she wasn’t concerned about the coronavirus outbreak. Once the death toll in Italy climbed to 1,016 by March 12, Neshevich decided to cancel.
“We have a thin shred of hope but realize it’s not looking good,” she said.
3:49 Tips for travelling amid ongoing coronavirus concerns
Tips for travelling amid ongoing coronavirus concerns
Kelly Simmons, a nurse in B.C., feels the same way as Neshevich.
Simmons planned a road trip to Seattle for spring break with her husband and two sons, ages six and nine years old. When she booked the vacation at the end of February, no one had died yet in the U.S. from the new coronavirus.
About one day later, she said, the U.S. announced its first death from the novel coronavirus near Seattle. After the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic on Mar. 11 and the death toll rose to 31 deaths in Washington state, Simmons decided to cancel, too.
“I do have fears about possibly being exposed and then bringing it back to Vancouver,” she said.
“I’m a healthcare worker. I see a lot of different people all day and I feel like it’s my duty not to go.”
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3:56 Can you get your money back for a cancelled plane ticket?
Can you get your money back for a cancelled plane ticket?
If you are still travelling amid the outbreak, travel experts said to make sure you have insurance and are covered for trip cancellation.
“Read that fine print, too, before you book anything,” said Toronto-based travel expert Jennifer Weatherhead Harrington.
“If you have something already booked and you’re thinking of cancelling, call them up or reach out to them on social media. … You need to make sure that you are educated as the purchaser of those tickets and you know what the risks are.”
Travel insurance protects you if you purchased it before a government-issued a “no non-essential travel” or “do not travel” advisory.
“It’s not coronavirus that’s being covered per se, it’s any medical emergencies,” John Shmuel, managing editor at Lowestrates.ca, previously told Global News.
“If you’re buying travel insurance right now, most consumer policies will deny you because there is an advisory in place.”
Shmuel said a variety of consumer policies include epidemics and pandemics, provided consumers purchase insurance before they happen.
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Those looking to purchase travel insurance after government advisories change may be out of luck.
However, “if you bought your insurance before this outbreak happened, before the advisory, and you get sick, then your insurance company will cover it. They’ll cover your treatment there and they’ll likely fly you back home,” Shmuel said.
Confused about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
Health officials say the risk is very low for Canadians, but they caution against travel to affected areas (a list of those areas can be found here). If you do travel to these places, officials recommend you self-monitor to see whether you develop symptoms and, if you do, to contact public health authorities.
Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease.
To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. And if you get sick, stay at home.
For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.
— With files from Global News’ Amanda Connolly and Emerald Bensadoun
LONGUEUIL, Que. – People in a part of Longueuil, Que., were being asked to stay indoors with their doors and windows closed on Thursday morning after a train derailed, spilling an unknown quantity of hydrogen peroxide.
Police from the city just east of Montreal said it didn’t appear anyone was hurt, although a CN rail official told a news conference that three employees had been taken to hospital as a precautionary measure.
The derailment happened at around 9 a.m. in the LeMoyne area, near the intersection of St-Louis and St-Georges streets. Mathieu Gaudreault, a spokesman for CN rail, said about eight cars derailed at the Southwark rail facility, including four that toppled over.
“As of this morning, the information we have is it’s hydrogen peroxide that was in the rail car and created the fumes we saw,” he said, adding that there was no risk of fire.
François Boucher, a spokesman for the Longueuil police department, said police were asking people in the area, including students at nearby schools, to stay indoors while experts ensure the air is safe to breathe.
“It is as a preventive measure that we encourage people to really avoid exposing themselves unnecessarily,” he told reporters near the scene.
Police and fire officials were on site, as well as CN railworkers, and a large security perimeter was erected.
Officers were asking people to avoid the sector, and the normally busy Highway 116 was closed in the area. The confinement notice includes everyone within 800 metres of the derailment, officials said, who added that it would be lifted once a team with expertise in dangerous materials has given the green light.
In addition to closing doors and windows, people in the area covered by the notice are asked to close heating, ventilation and air exchange systems, and to stay as far from windows as possible.
Gaudreault said it wasn’t yet clear what caused the derailment. The possibilities include a problem with the track, a problem with a manoeuvre, or a mechanical issue, he said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2024.
HALIFAX – Nova Scotia’s Liberal party is promising to improve cellphone service and invest in major highways if the party is elected to govern on Nov. 26.
Party leader Zach Churchill says a Liberal government would spend $60 million on building 87 new cellphone towers, which would be in addition to the $66 million the previous Progressive Conservative government committed to similar projects last year.
As well, Churchill confirmed the Liberals want to improve the province’s controlled access highways by adding exits along Highway 104 across the top of the mainland, and building a bypass along Highway 101 near Digby.
Churchill says the Liberals would add $40 million to the province’s $500 million capital budget for highways.
Meanwhile, the leaders of the three major political parties were expected to spend much of today preparing for a televised debate that will be broadcast tonight at 6 p.m. local time.
Churchill will face off against Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Houston and NDP Leader Claudia Chender during a 90-minute debate that will be carried live on CBC TV and streamed online.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2024.
TORONTO – A group of hotel service workers in Toronto is set to hold a rally today outside the Fairmont Royal York to demand salary increases as hotel costs in the city skyrocket during Taylor Swift’s concerts.
Unite Here Local 75, the union representing 8,000 hospitality workers in the Greater Toronto Area, says Royal York employees have not seen a salary increase since 2021, and have been negotiating a new contract with the hotel since 2022.
The rally comes as the megastar begins her series of six sold-out concerts in Toronto, with the last show scheduled for Nov. 23.
During show weekends, some hotel rooms and short-term rentals in Toronto are priced up to 10 times more than other weekends, with some advertised for as much as $2,000 per night.
The union says hotel workers who will be serving Swifties during her Toronto stops are bargaining for raises to keep up with the rising cost of living.
The union represents hospitality workers including food service employees, room attendants and bell persons.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2024.
