The Canadian government is not going to be closing its borders to battle Omicron, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said today. Speaking at Rideau Cottage in Ottawa, Trudeau said the Omicron variants “is already here.” “Shutting down the borders at this point would not be an effective measure,” Trudeau said. The government instead feels its best to try to limit gathering sizes and improve COVID-19 testing, he said. Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos echoed Trudeau’s comments, saying Canada has “some of the strongest border measures” in the world. He also noted that visitors to Canada must be tested for the coronavirus before Read more
Canadian border
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
A major new poll finds that two-thirds of Canadians want the Trudeau government to ditch PCR testing at the border. A new study from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute finds Canadians divided about how to handle border testing, but largely ready to move past molecular tests such as the PCR. A full 66% of Canadians say that either no tests should be required for fully vaccinated travellers (27%) or that Canada should switch from PCR tests to rapid antigen tests (39%). Twenty five per cent of Canadians said they would keep the requirement now in place for PCR or molecular Read more
Today’s announcement that Canadians who take trips to the U.S. for less than 72 hours no longer need a COVID test to return home doesn’t help Canada’s battered tourism sector, critics say. The Canadian Travel and Tourism Roundtable said it acknowledges today’s announcement by the Canadian government removing the pre-departure PCR testing requirement (indeed, all testing requirements) for Canadians returning from the United States for trips less than 72 hours. The PCR test policy, however, remains in effect for Canadians who leave the country for more than 72 hours. Critics have noted that the tests are prohibitively expensive, sometimes more Read more
Air Transat has unveiled its sun destinations for the coming (sorry to mention it) winter. Meanwhile, United is beefing up its Florida flights, and a business group is pushing for Canada to open its borders. Also, a top tourism expert looks at when San Francisco might recover. My Future of Travel blog for Aug. 13. Transat’s Sun Lineup for Winter To accompany its Here Comes the Sun Promo, currently in full swing, Transat is delighted to unveil its 2020-2021 South brochure. Vibrant and easy to consult, it features a total of 320 properties grouped under its four collections—Luxury, Distinction, Family and Solo—in over 30 destinations Read more
