Canada’s COVID-19 rules on travel hit businesses

MONTREAL, Canada: Canada’s move to limit inbound flights to four major airports as it seeks to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) from leisure travel is spilling over to business trips and fuelling uncertainty which could delay economic recovery, industry executives said.

Canada, which already has some of the world’s toughest travel and quarantine rules, plans to introduce restrictions such as mandatory airport COVID-19 tests and hotel quarantines for up to three days.

Directing flights to four airports — Toronto, Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver — which started Thursday, has created headaches for some companies in smaller cities.

Separately, the hotel quarantines, which were announced last week but await the drafting of formal rules, are creating uncertainty among essential business travelers who normally do not have to self-isolate.

“This kind of approach with business travel is going to hamper our efforts to rebound,” said Anthony Norejko, president of the Canadian Business Aviation Association (CBAA).

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters on Friday that Canada was looking at ways to further strengthen its land border with the US, which has been shut to nonessential travel for almost a year, but gave no details.

Public Safety Minister Bill Blair told a separate briefing that “commercial truckers will remain exempt to ensure that supply chains, essential services and support for critical infrastructure are not adversely affected.”

The CBAA has asked Transport Canada to exempt certain corporate aircraft operators flying for essential business to smaller Canadian cities from having to land at a major airport like Toronto due to the extra costs and time.

“We understand that the new requirements can create inconveniences and frustration for some travelers, but we are putting in place those requirements to protect the health of all Canadians,” Transport Canada said.