MONTREAL —
Confusion is now the defining state for many Canadians considering travel this month amid shifting advice, COVID-19 variants and layers of testing and quarantine rules.
The prospect of flying abroad is “incredibly confusing” as passengers remain uncertain about whether they will be tested at airports upon return or forced to quarantine — on top of the gamut of measures in other countries — said Marty Firestone, president of Toronto-based insurer Travel Secure.
“What do I need to get into that country? What do I need to get in this country? What do I need to get back into my own country?” he asked, paraphrasing client questions.
Many are now rerouting trips or cancelling altogether out of exasperation, Firestone said.
“We’re just in a disarray, there’s no other simple way to put it.”
COVID-19 testing is one area where uncertainty abounds.
The federal government has said all passengers entering Canada, except those from the United States, need to be tested on arrival and isolate until they get their results. (Those coming from 10 African countries face further restrictions following initial detection of the Omicron variant in South Africa, despite its prevalence in more than 50 countries.)
But federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos acknowledged Friday that Canadian airports do not yet have the capacity to fully test all non-U. S. international arrivals. He did not say when that could realistically begin, though random tests for returning overseas passengers are now underway.
“It’s going to be mayhem and utter chaos at the airports once people return to Canada,” Firestone predicted.
“Will they be herded into an assembly hall with 1,000 other people? Be left on the plane until the terminal gets empty enough to bring in the next 1,000 people? Or will they be handed a take-home test?” he asked.
Travellers also have to figure out testing requirements in other countries. A negative result from a rapid antigen or PCR test taken the day of or the day before departure is required to enter the U.S.
But only the costlier PCR test — the price tag can reach $300 — is acceptable for return to Canada if residents want to avoid quarantine. Travellers have up to 72 hours before takeoff or border crossing to get the nasal swab, though many pharmacies offer no time guarantees.
Then again, if the trip is less than 72 hours, fully vaccinated flyers and road-trippers need not get tested after all.
“Complete confusion,” said John McKenna, CEO of the Air Transport Association of Canada. “Even we have calls with the department of transport, and they don’t have the answers.”
He said the federal government needs to communicate guidance more clearly as thousands of Canadians start to call off holiday trips.
For example, the federal government’s travel advisory website does not rank countries by their COVID-19 risk, unlike the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Duclos said Friday that those planning to travel in the next few weeks should expect delays and hassle at the airport, and be aware that the situation could suddenly worsen.
“If they’re thinking of travelling, (Omicron) should be a serious alarm bell, a serious concern for them,” he told reporters. “It’s going to be uncertain and risky.”
Ottawa has not reimposed an advisory against all non-essential travel abroad that it quietly lifted on Oct. 21, but it warns Canadians to “exercise extra caution” as the Omicron variant spreads.
“Everyone’s very upset,” McKenna said, citing a lack of genuine consultation with industry.
“We’re not saying that the government is not taking this seriously,” he added. “We’re saying the government needs to be better organized and communicate better.”
On airport screening, Duclos said as of Nov. 30 airports could administer 11,000 COVID-19 tests per day and that number has risen to 17,000 a day.
Full capacity would be 23,000 daily tests, and Duclos did not specify when that would occur.
He also announced that 35 million rapid tests will be delivered to provinces and territories this month, though questions remain around the breadth of their deployment.
Air Passenger Rights president Gabor Lukacs said he supports extensive and potentially stringent measures, but said passengers have been fined for refusing airport tests they didn’t realize could be required of them.
“There is a lot of confusion about the law, for sure,” he said.
The questions come after an auditor general’s report Thursday that found Canada failed to adequately enforce border measures designed to keep international travellers from importing cases of COVID-19 into the country.
The World Health Organization said Thursday it is too early to tell whether Omicron is more transmissible than the Delta variant, though preliminary data suggests the strain may not be as severe as initially feared.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 11, 2021.
MONTREAL – Quebec provincial police say a body found in a nature park last month was that of a cryptocurrency influencer who had been missing since he was kidnapped from his Old Montreal condo in June.
Police say Kevin Mirshahi’s remains, discovered on Oct. 30 at Montreal’s Parc de l’Île-de-la-Visitation, were formally identified by the coroner’s office.
Mirshahi, 25, had been missing since he and three other people in their 20s were kidnapped from the parking garage of his condo building on June 21.
Three of the four people kidnapped — two women and a man — were found alive a day later in western Montreal, but Mirshahi remained unaccounted for.
By August, Quebec provincial police had concluded Mirshahi had been killed and they arrested Joanie Lepage, 32, of Les Cèdres, 45 kilometres southwest of Montreal.
She was charged at the courthouse in Valleyfield, Que., with first-degree murder, forcible confinement and accessory after the fact to murder on Aug. 22.
According to the charges, the killing is alleged to have taken place in Les Cèdres on the same day as the kidnapping.
Police say other arrests could be coming as the investigation is ongoing.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2024.
VICTORIA – Former British Columbia premier John Horgan loomed large over the swearing-in ceremony for 47 New Democrat members of the legislature, a day after his death.
Before the ceremony, Songhees Nation elder Butch Dick sang a prayer and offered words of sympathy for the family of Horgan, who died Tuesday at the age of 65 after a third battle with cancer.
Dick says Horgan was a “friend of the people,” while Legislature Clerk Kate Ryan-Lloyd paid tribute to Horgan for his service to the people of B.C.
Langford-Highlands MLA Ravi Parmar wore a Victoria Shamrocks lacrosse jersey to honour his longtime friend and mentor who was a lacrosse player and faithful follower of the Shamrocks.
Garry Begg, whose 21-vote victory in Surrey-Guildford gave the NDP a one-seat majority government, was given a standing ovation by friends and colleagues.
The NDP majority in the 93-seat legislature was only confirmed after recounts that took place weeks after the Oct. 19 election.
The B.C. Conservatives won 44 seats, and the Greens two.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2024.
OTTAWA – A CSIS official denies they threatened a Montreal man who was later imprisoned and allegedly tortured by authorities in Sudan.
The spy service employee, who can only be identified as Witness C to protect their identity, is testifying in Abousfian Abdelrazik’s lawsuit against the federal government.
Abdelrazik claims Canadian officials arranged for his arbitrary imprisonment, encouraged his detention by Sudanese authorities and actively obstructed his repatriation to Canada for several years.
The Sudanese-born Abdelrazik was arrested in September 2003 while in his native country to see his ailing mother.
Witness C, who had previously spoken to Abdelrazik in Montreal, travelled to Khartoum to interrogate him.
In Federal Court today, the witness acknowledged telling Abdelrazik in Canada that he should not travel, but characterized that as sincere advice to protect him rather than a threat.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2024.
