New COVID-testing rules just ‘one more hit’ for pandemic-weary travel industry – CBC
Travel between U.S. and Canada exempt from new rules for now, but that may change
Dec 02, 2021
After more than a year of cancelled plans and delayed trips, COVID-weary travellers and those in the tourism industry have been thrown for yet another loop after the federal government implemented new travel rules this week designed to keep a lid on the spread of the omicron coronavirus variant.
On Monday, Ottawa announced new rules requiring incoming air travellers from all countries except the United States to be tested for COVID-19 upon arrival, regardless of whether they’re vaccinated or not. And they’ll also have to quarantine until their test results come back negative.
Those new rules are in addition to existing stipulations that anyone coming to Canada must take and pass a COVID test within 72 hours of departure.
It’s bad news for an industry that can scarcely afford it.
“It’s one more hit to an industry that has been … significantly hit by the pandemic,” said Statia Elliot, director of the School of Hospitality Food and Tourism Management at Guelph University.
Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/new-travel-rules-testing-1.6270023
