Canadian Airports Council (CAC) President Daniel-Robert Gooch this week called on Canadian federal officials to provide more detailed plans on restarting international travel following the first steps to ease COVID-19 related restrictions.
Canadian officials this week said Canadians and permanent residents with proof they have been vaccinated against COVID-19 will be able to enter the country without undergoing a mandatory quarantine starting the night of July 5. Government officials also hinted that more restrictions will be lifted once 75 percent of the population have been vaccinated.
“While today’s announcement confirms that it will be easier for Canadians to travel internationally this summer, Canada’s airports are disappointed that the federal government is providing no information on the subsequent phases in its restart plan, leaving Canadians and the travel and tourism sector in the dark on what is planned for the coming weeks and months,” Gooch said in a statement.
Gooch said Canada’s airports are calling on the federal government to release and quickly implement a multi-phased plan to reopen travel based on recommendations made by the federal government’s medical experts on its Expert Advisory Panel on Testing and Screening.
Those recommendations include the elimination of hotel quarantine for all travelers, elimination of quarantine for all fully vaccinated travelers, and new measures for partially vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers.
“The restart plan should also include measures to eliminate funneling of international passengers to four airports, moving arrivals testing away from airport terminals, and reducing the two-meter physical distancing requirement.” Gooch said.
