Originally Posted by
Badenoch
Many of those who are coming into Canada by land are essential to maintaining supply chains but tighter scrutiny on who is truly essential would be worth the effort. What is certain however is that while desirable there is nothing essential about a winter vacation in the sun.
The problem is, the virus doesn't care if a traveler is essential or not, for the virus a truck driver is the same human host as a beach vacationer. If you put crazy restriction on 10% of travelers (considered as non-essential) but let the 90% others enter without anything, the impact on the pandemic will be minimal at best. Sure, I understand you cannot stop the supply chain but there could be some measure they can take to more efficiently stop the virus. Like rapid antigenic testing for anyone. Also, why not have American truck drivers bringing goods to the border and Canadian truck drivers taking them from there ? How about strictly quarantining foreign based crew and have strict restriction on Canadian based crew when they travel oversea (like having to wear a mask anytime and just go to an hotel room waiting their next flight - like NZ crews ?)
Originally Posted by
Badenoch
Quebec's earlier spring break in 2020 relative to Ontario is believed to have contributed to its higher infection rate in the early stages. Fewer people travelling reduces the risk of more people being infected particularly if they are vacationing in regions with higher infection rates. Travel restrictions also reduce the likelihood of new strains coming into the country.
And FWIW, infection rates in Ontario and Quebec seem to be moderating from the post-Christmas peaks and since the imposition of tighter lockdowns and mandatory testing requirements.
Air traffic went down 90%, land border is close for non-essential travel, there are the PCR testing and quarantine requirement, and almost nobody have booked a beach vacation anymore since the December travel shaming wave... There is absolutely no comparison possible with March 2020, when 100% of new cases were imported.