The federal government has a message for Canadians: Now is not the time to travel.
On Monday, Canada’s mandatory COVID-19 quarantine hotel stays will go into effect. The new rule is part of an effort to reduce non-essential travel and get ahead of the new virus variants — three of which have already been confirmed inside the country.
Anyone flying into Canada will be forced to stay in an approved hotel either in Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario or Quebec while they await negative test results.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had initially touted a hefty $2,000 stay per room, but the cost is expected to be much lower and will be set by the hotels.
A spokesperson from the Hotel Association of Canada told Global News the cost of each stay will “vary between hotels, with additional fees for meals, augmented security, supervised movement to outdoor areas, designated transportation, and additional infection control measures.”
However, the association added it “will continue to implement the advice of public health experts including the best practices provided by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) for those specific hotels.”
What can you expect?
Each privately owned hotel has agreed to meet operational guidelines and selection criteria set by the federal government.
Health Canada said it will allow people who own cars that have been parked at one of these airports to drive themselves there. Those without their own vehicles will be allowed to take either a designated shuttle bus, taxi or limousine.
Travellers will not be allowed to leave their rooms unless escorted by an official for monitored outdoor time, but all guests will be provided free Wi-Fi, as well as contactless meal deliveries to their door. Alcohol and cannabis are not considered essential, and won’t be delivered.
Try not to make a mess: toiletries will be delivered, but there will be no room cleaning service for the duration of a guest’s stay to help prevent any possible spread of infection between guests and staff members.