It became a little tougher today for Canadians to travel. Just after midnight Eastern Time today, December 21, new rules brought in by the government of Canada to combat the Omicron variant took effect. Under the new regulations, any Canadian who leaves the country must submit a negative PCR test before they’re allowed to return, even if they’re only gone for a few hours. The government was allowing Canadians who left the country for less than 72 hours to get tested before they left on their trip. But the ruling Liberals passed new legislation last week that revoked that policy. Read more
Canada
Last week I published my Jimmy Awards for best food and drinks in the abbreviated travel year of 2021. Today I focus on hotels, events, attractions, riding in 60-year-old cars, the joy of COVID tests, and great parks I never knew about. Best train experience: The Rocky Mountaineer ride from Kamloops B.C. to Banff. Truly one of the world’s great train experiences, with luxurious, glass-roof coaches and excellent food and wine. Best hotel makeover: They spent $30 million refurbishing the Sheraton Gateway Hotel at Toronto Pearson Airport, and it shows. The lobby and rooms are sleek and stylish, and there’s Read more
Canadians are now getting slapped with restrictions on domestic travel. Newfoundland and Labrador says that, starting at 3 p.m. tomorrow, all incoming travellers need to self-isolate for five days upon arrival. They also must take a rapid COVID-19 test every day for five days. If all results are negative, they can be let out of isolation. Unvaccinated children will have to self-isolate for five days, and produce a rapid test each day, according to the CBC. As well, almost everyone aged 12 or older entering Newfoundland and Labrador must submit a travel form within 30 days of their expected travel Read more
The Trudeau government is still considering a ban on non-essential travel to Canada by foreign nationals, the Toronto Star is reporting. A proposal to shut Canada’s borders to non-essential travellers was one of four options the Trudeau cabinet considered Tuesday as it grappled with the growth of the COVID-19 Omicron variant, reporter Tonda MacCharles said. The idea met with opposition from some Cabinet members and from some provincial premiers. But a source told the Star it’s still under consideration. Trudeau mentioned the idea in his Tuesday Cabinet meeting, and then posed that and other possible moves in his Tuesday night Read more
So much for last-minute Christmas shopping in the States this year. The Trudeau government today said it’s reintroducing the requirement for a pre-arrival negative PCR-style COVID-19 test for all travellers coming into Canada, even if they’re Canadians who’ve only been gone a short while. The new policy comes into place next Tuesday, December 21. Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos made the announcement against the backdrop of rising Omicron-variant numbers across the country. He also said Canada is ending its much-criticized ban against travel to and from several African countries. When he unveiled the Canadian government’s new travel advisory on Wednesday, Duclos Read more
