OrangeMango

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/cov...sgovVKxa27Sybo

"Hajdu says Canada will come up with 'certification' to allow COVID-clear Canadians to travel again"

Even though it's hard to believe given the current attitude by the Canadian government, this development would certainly be welcome.

Revin Kevin

Got to laugh at that report. It talks about this county doing this another doing that, all rushing arround to get their vaccine passports up and running, then it says Canada is in talks with the G7 about it. Clearly Canada is going to be last to this particular party.

OrangeMango

I think Canada will take a very long time to allow fully vaccinated Canadians to travel quarantine free. To date Canadian politics is obsessed with quarantine. Pressure on politics to change that way of thinking can only come from the outside, most likely it's going to be the US, e.g. if Canada has the same vaccination levels and low infection levels as the US, the pressure on politics to finally change will have to come at some point. It'll be a very long learning curve, that I am certain of.

Gozit

I am part of a FB group of travelers who have been subjected to the GAA quarantine regime, there are rumours of a change coming as of 1st July. Nothing concrete yet but one can hope. I'm mentally prepared for the quarantine period so it does not bother me anymore.

Revin Kevin

I very much hope so, I've done 2 x 2 week quarantines already and frankly do not want to ever have to do it again. With the quarantine hotels seemingly descending into cess pits of crime and disease it's time for an immediate re-think on the whole question of quarantine hotels. It can't be right that if I came to Canada today, fully vaccinated and tested that I should be bused to and housed in a hotel with unvaccinated arrivals from a possible covid hotspot? It's time different arrangements are put in place for fully vaccinated travellers. I would suggest that for fully vaccinated arrivals a test on arrival with compulsory self quarantine until a clear test result is obtained would suffice.

BristolUK

How do you police the 'self quarantine' aspect? Electronic tagging? Post a couple of cops outside the door? (they always get killed in the movies ) The hotel idea is just easier isn't it?

Siouxie

The trouble is that there are forged / fake / edited vaccination certificates and no doubt these will increase in time - so it could be difficult to determine conclusively if you are 'safe' or not.. hence the quarantine hotels (though I agree they could have different hotels for those that can show genuine proof of vaccination / immunity).

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toron...rder-1.5966707

Former Lancastrian

Actually the not letting them on a plane to fly to Canada is much easier and cheaper.

Gozit

I'm sorry but that is like saying we should detain everyone on arrival because their passport might be fake...we have agreements with countries about what travel documents to accept. The solution to forgery is not to punish all travelers with a $1200 quarantine. It is to create a standard for a secure, accepted proof of vaccine document. The EU is working on it. I will likely have one of those documents by end June as I am on track to be fully vaccinated by then, in the EU.

Gozit

+1.

The vaccine lowers risk. The Canadian government needs to stop obsessing with "covid zero" as we'll never get there. They say they are "following science" - OK, then allow fully vaccinated travelers to be exempt from quarantine.

They could make it like Alberta was in Nov-Dec 2020, where after receiving negative test results you could go out of quarantine provided you did not go to work without prior approval, did not go around vulnerable people, and wore a mask at all times in public until day 14.

If they do not start treating vaccinated people differently here I believe it will definitely affect vaccine uptake, especially among those who are on the fence about getting the vaccine. Everywhere else is adapting guidelines and allowing vaccinated people more freedom.

BristolUK

Given Alberta's problems with covid I'm not sure it's a good example. It's still relying on people being personally responsible and there are too many examples of that not happening.

Revin Kevin

That sounds like someone trying to justify a police state.
​​​Believe it or not, people generally are personally responsible - that's how society works!

BristolUK

I was expecting someone to liken it to the class being kept behind because Johnny didn't own up to putting matches in the chalkboard eraser

Yes, people are generally responsible. But is that how society works or do we have things like speed limits and sanctions for not following them? We don't rely on people driving 'safely' do we, we insist people reach a driving standard before they can go out on the road on their own and then there are laws they are required to follow. They can't just say "trust me I'm a good driver."

Alberta was where they had the anti-mask/Rodeo even recently with hundreds or more spreading covid. Alberta was the example.

Siouxie

See below..


I agree.
Unfortunately while most people are generally responsible types, there are many that aren't. The few making life more difficult for the many.

Don't drink and drive - but some people do, causing accidents and deaths due to their 'don't give a damn attitude'.
Wear a seatbelt - but some people don't and end up in hospital or in the morgue
Get a gun license - but some people don't, they buy them illegally and fire them at others, causing mahem and death
Don't batter your partner - but some people do, causing untold damage to generations (monkey see, monkey do!) and potential death
Wear a mask - but many refuse to... potentially causing others to become ill.. and potentially die
Don't steal - but many do, resulting in higher prices for the rest.

There are many who disregards the rules / regulations / laws - including those that lie through their teeth, falsify documents or test results to enable them to travel at will, because they don't give a s**** about anyone else,

The consequences are suffered by others........ sometimes to the point of death.

OrangeMango

I share that opinion. The Canadian government's obsession with quarantine is disproportionate, especially from low risk countries. Everybody who is fully vaccinated with the Pfizer, Moderna or Astra Zeneca vaccine and the last dose was administered at least 2 weeks ago should be able to enter Canada without any issues. Visiting a senior / elderly care home is easier than returning to Canada.

I have not given up hope that that one day the pressure on the Canadian government will be there to re-open the country, especially when there is comparison with the US and the argument "Why can US Americans travel, and Canadians can't?"

The Canadian government should rather worry about the opioid crisis and "zero drugs" than "zero Covid" if they want a science based approach. At least against Covid, we do have a vaccine which actually does work.