The1Anton

Apologies if this is in the wrong thread, or been asked many times before.

In a previous thread I had asked about moving to BC. Of course, having never been to that part of Canada before a holiday there would help gather information and a feel for if the place is right.

Have there been any indications as to when Canada/BC is likely to accept holidaymakers from the UK? We would be looking forward to a time when no quarantine would be imposed on new arrivals. Has there been any news on this, or is it likely to all be relaxed within 2020?

Engineer_abroad

no, no news but BC has been very strict about the quarantine so I’m not expecting it to be relaxed anytime soon.

We will likely enter stage 3 this/next week in which the BC government will remove the advisory against travel within the province, we are being encouraged to vacation within BC this year to help the tourism industry which I take as a sign the quarantine will last all summer.

The original plan was stage 4 (large gatherings and international travel) would go ahead when there is a vaccine, wide spread community immunity or effective therapeutic treatment. That of course is a how long is a piece of string in terms of time frame and indeed may never actual happen so may need to be walked back at some point.

my own feeling is sometime in fall

The1Anton

Thank you. We wouldn't be looking sooner than 6 months' time at fhe very least. Will just keep an eye on things then!

scilly

I shouldn't be in any hurry!!

First, Trudeau has announced today that Canada will be in no hurry to re-open the borders to international travel, despite pressure from businesses, because the pandemic is still accelerating according to WHO, and we're certainly seeeing that in the US and other countries (including the UK?).

https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/with...lans-1.4994819

Second, the US - Canada border is still closed to all non-essential travel until July 21st, and that is, I think, almost certain to continue if things don't change below the line.

Third, the provinces have a lot of power, including the ability to close their borders and to insist on 14-day quarantine, even if the Feds have opened them. BC was one that did that at the very beginning, as did NB and NS.

BC was insisting on the 14-day quarantine, and putting international travellers into hotels even before the Feds were up to par with port of entry checks. NS was insisting on 14 day quarantine from as early as March 18th.

So you have to watch out for both Federal and Provincial regulations.

In addition to all that ............ cities and municipalities, First Nations, etc can all set their own guidelines. There are still places that are not happy that BC visitors will be able to travel around the province very soon.


Not that we don't want you .............. just not too soon!

bc2015

Sometime in 2021 would be my guess for quarantine-free arrivals to BC. They won't risk a surge in infections, particularly if the province is (mostly) back to normal.

Former Lancastrian

Also to consider is if/when a 2nd wave begins and seeing as how the UK did such a stellar job on the 1st outbreak then if the UK becomes another hotspot then it might be longer than you think before we allow Brits to visit us.

scilly

I had an interesting discussion with the receptionist at my doctor's office last week ......... ahe said that they were looking to have 2 months of quiet after the last hectic months, before having to face "is it a cold, or flu, or covid-19". That seems to imply that doctors are preparing themselves for a possible second wave coming as early as September, though later might also be likely.

I've booked my tickets for across the country train travel for Christmas, so will just keep my fingers crossed! We're obviously not going to go if a covid outbreak means having to go into 14 day quarantine in Toronto, Montreal or Halifax!

Revin Kevin

It's not accelerating in the UK, quite the opposite, 22 deaths yesterday - down from over 1000. From the 4th July cinemas and museums will open and pubs are expected soon after. It has also been said that the 14 day quaranteen won't be arround much longer.

dbd33

Surely that's why travelers from the UK will not be welcome. The view from here is that the government is opening the economy in the UK, and in the US, accepting a high rate of infection. We don't want that high rate of infection here.

Stumpylegs

Although questionably despite huge protests, and thousands of people at the beaches 3 - 4 weeks ago and we haven't seen a spike in cases.

Key issue for holidays is whether there will be a second wave come weather change (be that UK/Canada) and whether borders are opened before then - which is something I have my doubts about. Although no doubt there is currently some political dance going on in that Trudeau keeping the US/Canada border shut but opening Canada to the rest of the world would cause some sort of huge backlash from Trump et all. But America seems to be doing worse than ever currently.

Revin Kevin

Could it be that the UK government's gung ho way of handling things has actually given us, to some degeee at least what was their original desired outcome ie herd imunity which may explain the now massively reduced infection rate and the lack of a spike?

dbd33

Protests, outdoors, in masks, like life in Canada. Florida, shops and restaurants open, like life as proposed by Boris. Protests, no spike. Florida, lots of spike.

Brits were allowed into New Zealand and we know how that went..

Mad cow, Covid, perhaps Brexit does have some merit, keep the lepers on their island.

Hurlabrick

Light blue touch paper - and retire.....

Former Lancastrian

Stumpylegs

I'm not sure the media you've seen may be different, but I honestly cant believe given the numbers there hasn't been a spike, whilst most if not all of the protests outside in the UK it was very much thousands of people in a very cramped area. One would assume the next few weeks will prove one way or the other whether the UK has opened too soon or not.

One major thing will be the sensibility of the diners, limited numbers of people going and eating well spaced out outside, with even fewer inside, not mixing outside their table bubble, not going if they feel unwell etc. as opposed to everyone getting drunk, forgetting about social distancing and then pushing tables together etc. - but given the current trend of common sense in Britain, I expect we will go for the latter!

The question is whether this actually ends in the foreseeable or whether there is always a risk of it being brought into the country from a country that has a steady (which is where I think the UK sits) stream of cases - if so should the UK (or any other high risk country) really expect any sort of international travel for the next 2-3 years?

But then every locked down country that opens back up and handled it successfully is only ever 1 flight away from disaster with either quarantine stopped, or someone not obeying quarantine when entering the country.