TORONTO (AP) – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned on Friday that his government could impose stricter restrictions on travelers at any time in response to new, probably more contagious variants of the coronavirus, which could possibly force a hotel to be quarantined on the coast. its when you get to Canada.
Trudeau said at a press conference that such measures could be imposed suddenly and warned bluntly against non-essential travel abroad.
“Right now, no one should take a holiday abroad. If you still have one planned, cancel it. And don’t book any spring break trips, ”said Trudeau.
Canada already requires those entering the country to isolate themselves for 14 days and present a negative COVID-19 test conducted in the three days prior to arrival. The suggested measure would require isolation in a hotel rather than at home.
Recent variants of the virus that have emerged in the UK, South Africa and Brazil appear to be spreading more easily and scientists say this will lead to more cases, deaths and hospitalizations. They are also concerned about the possibility of reducing the effectiveness of vaccines.
There is also some evidence that the new variant first identified in the south-east of England carries a higher risk of death than the original strain, the chief scientific adviser to the British government, Patrick Vallance, said on Friday.
Dr. Andrew Morris, a professor of infectious diseases at the University of Toronto and medical director of the University of Sinai Health Network’s antimicrobial protection program, said he was in favor of making it mandatory for travelers to quarantine in a hotel. at his expense.
“It’s uncomfortable for travelers, but we’re in a pandemic,” Morris said. “If you want to protect borders and do everything possible to prevent the importation of additional problem strains and you want your cases to decrease, this is what you should do. In my opinion, it’s okay. It’s late. It’s months. “
Morris said the measure would discourage holidays abroad, as people would not want to have to quarantine in a hotel at their expense after returning.
He said more and more governments are thinking of ways to be more aggressive because of new variants, vaccine delays, challenges to vaccinate the population and tensions in health systems.