Reopening international travel should be based on the recommendations outlined by the COVID-19 Testing and Screening Expert Advisory Panel, argue “The Roundtable”.
The Panel was set up to provide the government with science and data-driven recommendations regarding testing, border restrictions and quarantine measures. Their latest recommendations call for eliminating quarantine for fully vaccinated travellers and eliminating the hotel quarantine policy.
The travel and tourism sector has been hard at work implementing and adapting to Covid restrictions. Canadians have also worked diligently to reduce the rate of infection by staying at home and avoiding unnecessary travel. As we see vaccine rates rising and infection rates falling, it is time to address the future of international travel.
In response to the guidance from the advisory panel, the Canadian Travel & Tourism Roundtable has added pressure to the government to heed the advice of its experts to:
– Eliminate the government hotel quarantine for all travellers;
– Eliminate pre-departure tests and quarantine for all travellers;
– Reduce quarantine for partially vaccinated travellers (after test on arrival) and unvaccinated travellers (after a test taken at day 7);
– Amend border measures in stages; and,
– Put in place a system to validate proof of vaccination for arriving travellers as soon as possible.
The Canadian Travel & Tourism Roundtable:
The Roundtable is a cross-Canadian coalition of leaders in the tourism and travel sector. This includes representatives from airports, airlines, hotels, boards of trade and chambers of commerce. The $102 billion sector is responsible for 2.1% of the countries GDP, so the return of international travel is essential for Canadas prosperity.
Air Canada were quick to offer support over the issue:
We join in calling the federal government to implement their Expert Panel report detailing data & science-based recommendations to safely reopen travel to enable Canadians to reunite with families & friends and support Canada’s economic recovery. https://t.co/tBbXGxDZQN
— Air Canada (@AirCanada) June 1, 2021
