'We're still in a pandemic': PM defends extension of travel restrictions as industry groups demand relief

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is defending the recent extension of COVID-19 border restrictions, saying the decision is “anchored in science” as representatives from the travel and tourism sector gather in Ottawa to demand relief.

Trudeau said Canada is still in the midst of a pandemic and lifting restrictions – such as requiring foreign tourists to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination upon entry -- too soon could cause worse outcomes for the travel sector.

“The reality is, as much as people would like to pretend we’re not, we’re still in a pandemic. There are Canadians who die every single day because of COVID-19,” he told reporters on Wednesday.

“I know people are eager to get back to things we love but what will also further damage our tourism industry is if we get another wave.”

Industry groups held a press conference later Wednesday, calling on the federal government to alleviate travel pain points, such as long lineups and delays, in time for the summer travel season.

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“We did our part to keep Canadians safe and now it is finally our turn to recover. Travel is back with a vengeance and we could not be happier but the passenger experience at our Canadian airports is a challenge,” said Susie Grynol, President and CEO of the Hotel Association of Canada.

Interim Canadian Airports Council President Monette Pasher said while the organization welcomes the government’s steps to increase Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) staffing levels, more must be done.

“We’re urging the federal government to take three concrete actions in the short term to immediately alleviate pressure on the system. They include: removing onsite mandatory testing from Canada’s airports, removing the Public Health Agency of Canada’s duplicate health check questions at government custom checkpoints and at the international border and removing vaccination mandates for CATSA and CBSA workers,” she said.

On Tuesday, the Public Health Agency of Canada announced that border rules would be extended until at least June 30.

• Canada's border restrictions: What you need to know

Foreign tourists will continue to be required to provide proof of being fully vaccinated, and unvaccinated Canadian citizens or permanent residents are also still required to show proof of a molecular COVID-19 test taken prior to entering Canada and quarantine for 14 days.

All travellers coming to Canada, regardless of citizenship, must also continue to submit their health information through the ArriveCAN app prior to entry.

Randomized testing for the fully vaccinated also remains in place.

The border rules extension came a day after Parliament voted down a Conservative motion to revert back to pre-pandemic travel guidelines for travel.

In response, Conservative transport critic Melissa Lantsman, who advanced the motion, tweeted “the government still has not shared any justification for their outdated and out-of-step restrictions.” 

Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith echoed a similar sentiment on Tuesday while voicing concern about the two-dose vaccination mandate for travel within and out of Canada without any effective accommodation for those who aren’t granted an exemption.

“Nothing about the re-evaluation of travel-related measures has been transparent. It is not clear what Dr. Tam’s recommendations are, and there’s been no adequate justification provided for continuing the exclusive two-dose mandate,” he tweeted.

“The justifications for any mandate are to increase rates and reduce transmission risk. But the current mandate has exhausted its usefulness in reaching new people, and the impact of two doses on transmission risk is too low (especially given alternative testing options).”

He also called the delays at airports “unacceptable” and reason enough to abolish restrictions if they’re no longer providing any public good.

Transport Minister Omar Alghabra says a major source of the delays is the “extreme peaks and valleys” of current travel patterns.

“[Some airlines], they still have not returned all of the flight schedules but there’s more customers…so there are extreme peaks that we’re seeking and we need to deal with those,” he said on Wednesday.

Pasher noted that in May, Canada’s hub airports saw 70 per cent of pre-pandemic passenger traffic levels and they are currently processing on average 56,000 international passengers a day, which is forecasted to grow to 80,000 a day this summer.

“It’s challenging to manage that level of traffic with leftover, legacy public health protocols still in place at our international border,” said Pasher.

With a file from CTVNews.ca’s Tom Yun