The federal government admits it spent nearly $400 million of taxpayer dollars over on its designated COVID-19 quarantine facilities during the pandemic. Figures supplied to the media by the Public Health Agency of Canada state that the government spent more than $388 million to run 38 designated quarantine sites across the country between March 2020 and September 2022. The facilities were consistently criticized as overpriced and badly managed, with people complaining bitterly about poor food, cold meals and crowded lobbies with would-be quarantine passengers mingling together. “DQF’s (Designated Quarantine Facilities) and alternate sites were active in a total of 14 Read more
quarantine
Travel to Hong Kong just got a lot easier. The Hong Kong SAR Government today announced the lifting of all mandatory PCR test requirements for inbound travelers upon arrival in Hong Kong. They’re also getting rid of the Vaccine Pass, which allowed access to only specified premises and other measures starting from tomorrow, December 29. “The new measures mark a key milestone for tourism revival and the full reopening of the tourism doors of Hong Kong,” said Dr. Pang Yiu-kai, Chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board. “Visitors can now fully enjoy Hong Kong’s diverse offerings once they arrive in Read more
Air Canada today announced the strategic expansion of its international network for summer 2023, with the addition of new European services to Brussels, Toulouse and Copenhagen. It is also resuming key Asia services to Tokyo-Haneda and Osaka, and is restoring frequencies to leading destinations in the Atlantic, Pacific and South America regions. “We continue to pursue our disciplined approach of expanding our global network in response to anticipated demand. We are especially pleased to be adding three new strategic routes to Europe, resuming important services to Japan, and increasing frequencies to key international destinations for summer 2023,” said Mark Galardo, Read more
Canada can party like its 1999 again. Canada’s tough travel restrictions end just after midnight tomorrow, October 1; ending some of the most stringent rules in the world. As of Saturday, travellers coming into Canada no longer need to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 and no longer have to worry about random testing at the airport or the border. There’s also no quarantine in effect for sick travellers, and no more mask requirement on planes or trains in Canada. The tourism industry also is thrilled that the pesky ArriveCAN app, which some experts said was overly difficult for some Read more
A top union official is warning that there could be “significant delays” at Canada border points if travel picks up dramatically in the wake of travel restrictions being eased. Mark Weber, national president of the Customs and Immigration Union, said border agents are already slammed, and that a signiicant increase in travel will make things worse. The Canadian government announced on Monday that travel restrictions will be lifted on Saturday, October 1. That means an end to mandatory vaccinations for coming into Canada, no quarantine for sick visitors and no random testing. The controversial ArriveCAN app also will become optional Read more
