Question Period Note: Mandatory Isolation and Quarantine Requirements

• In order to travel to Canada foreign nationals must meet all entry requirements outlined in the applicable Orders in Council and in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and Regulations.

• Foreign nationals should not travel to Canada if they have COVID-19 symptoms. Air carriers cannot allow symptomatic travellers to board a plane. However, Canadian citizens, permanent residents and persons registered under the Indian Act with or without symptoms have the right to enter Canada.

• All international travellers arriving in Canada must have a suitable quarantine plan for the mandatory 14-day period, which starts on the date they arrive.

• All travellers entering Canada are required to submit mandatory health information to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) under the Quarantine Act, this includes a quarantine plan and contact information, as specified by PHAC.

• As of November 21, all travellers are required to submit their quarantine plan and contact information by electronic means (ArriveCAN), unless they cannot do so because of a disability, inadequate infrastructure, a service disruption or a natural disaster.

• Travellers arriving by air mode, are required to submit information electronically before boarding a flight to Canada.

• Travellers arriving in all other modes (land, rail, marine), are strongly encouraged to submit information electronically when entering Canada.

• Every person entering Canada is required to answer any questions asked by a screening officer, quarantine officer, or public health official for the duration of the 14-day period beginning on the day they enter Canada.

• Government of Canada representatives will conduct health screenings at the time of entry to Canada to determine the need for quarantine or isolation.

• Every person who enters Canada must wear a suitable non-medical mask or face covering when entering Canada, in public places where physical distancing cannot be maintained, and while travelling to their place of quarantine or isolation as required.

• As of December 1st, asymptomatic high performance amateur athletes and supporting personnel participating or engaging in International Single Sport Events can seek entry into Canada after receiving an authorization letter from Heritage Canada.

• These authorization letters may include risk mitigation plans with conditions for quarantine exemption developed in consultation with PHAC and based on the written support of the concerned provincial government and local public health authority.

If pressed on compassionate exemption:
• The Government has created a process to allow foreign nationals to come to Canada for compassionate reasons, in limited circumstances, and with limited release from quarantine if applicable.

• Information on how to request authorization for entry into Canada and limited release from mandatory quarantine based on compassionate grounds is available on the PHAC website.

• In all cases, foreign nationals seeking entry for compassionate reasons including attending to the death, critical illness, funeral or end of life ceremony must be in possession of a travel authorization letter issued by PHAC and must have a suitable quarantine plan on arrival, even if they have a limited release from quarantine.

• Travellers should not travel until they receive written authorization to seek entry into Canada.

If pressed on new quarantine exemptions:
• Cross-border students who attend school in Canada and in the US on a regular basis and their drivers are exempt from quarantine requirements when entering Canada, subject to certain conditions.
• Elementary and secondary school students entering Canada can only attend listed learning institution that have agreed to accept quarantine exempt students, subject to confirmation of approval by the Minister of Health that the concerned local health authority and provincial government are not opposed.

• Dependent children and their drivers who enter Canada under the terms of a written agreement or a court order regarding custody, access or parenting are exempt from quarantine requirements, subject to certain conditions.

• Habitual residents or remote cross-border communities, who only cross the Canada-US border to access the necessities of life in the closest available community where such necessities are available, are exempt from quarantine requirements; these communities include:
o Northwest Angle, Minnesota;
o Hyder, Alaska;
o Campobello Island, New Brunswick; and
o Stewart, British Columbia.
• Persons who enter Canada at a land border are exempt from quarantine requirements as long as they never left their vehicle after being denied entry to the US or after entering US territory without seeking formal entry.

If Pressed on other measures to mitigate spread of virus at border:
• All travellers entering Canada, whether in mandatory quarantine or isolation, must:
o arrange for a suitable place to quarantine or isolate;
o go directly to place of quarantine or isolation, without stopping anywhere;
o wear a non-medical mask or face covering while travelling to the place of quarantine or isolation;
o stay at place of quarantine or isolation for 14 days (only leave to seek medical assistance if needed);
o not have any guests;
o monitor health for fever and a cough, or fever and difficulty breathing.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared an outbreak of what is now known as COVID-19 to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on January 30, 2020, and a pandemic on
March 11, 2020. COVID-19 has demonstrated the potential to cause widespread illness if not properly contained. Global efforts are focused on containment of the outbreak and the prevention of further spread.

The Government of Canada’s (GOC) top priority is the health and safety of Canadians. Failing to contain the outbreak may lead to widespread disease in Canada, increase negative health impacts and potentially overwhelm the health system. To date, Canada has managed to slow the spread of the virus by introducing a range of measures, including restrictions on non-essential travel across Canada’s international borders and mandatory quarantine and isolation measures to help prevent further spread of COVID-19. The successful reduction in transmission of COVID-19 cases related to international travel is a direct result of the border restrictions and quarantine measures in place. The GOC is continuously monitoring and evaluating the situation and will ensure protective measures remain in place until they can be lifted safely.

Order in Council

New OIC 36: 2020-0967 entitled Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to COVID-19 in Canada Order (Mandatory Isolation), No. 8, has effect from the period beginning on November 29, 2020 (11:59:59 PM) and ending on January 21, 2021 (11:59:59 PM). This order repeals and replaces OIC 33: 2020-0840.

General requirements

All travellers entering Canada who are subject to mandatory quarantine or isolation, as well as quarantine exempt persons, are required to provide mandatory health information to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) under the Quarantine Act:

• Non-exempt travellers are required to provide required information including their travel details, phone number, email address, quarantine plan and civic address where they intend to quarantine. This includes travellers who have been issued a limited release from quarantine by PHAC (i.e. compassionate entry);

• Exempt travellers are required to provide contact information (phone number and email address) where they can be contacted for a period of 14 days starting on the day the enter Canada. Exempt travellers refer to persons who fall under one of the classes of persons listed in section 6 of the mandatory isolation OIC.

Asymptomatic travellers can submit their contact information through:
• PHAC Contact Information Desktop Application;
• Paper based PHAC Coronavirus Form;
• ArriveCAN online portal; or
• ArriveCAN Mobile Application.

Travellers who refuse to provide their information may be subject to additional measures, such as a requirement to undergo a health assessments or charges for an offence under the Quarantine Act.

Requirement to submit information by electronic means - ArriveCAN

As of November 21, 2020, all travellers are required to submit required information through electronic means (ArriveCAN) before boarding a flight to Canada in the air mode. When entering Canada in all other modes (land, rail, marine), electronic submission is strongly encouraged.

Quarantine plan and contact information must be submitted for the 14-day quarantine period by electronic means to PHAC, unless travellers cannot do so because of a disability, inadequate infrastructure, a service disruption or a natural disaster, in which case this information can be provided in an alternate manner as specified by PHAC. This obligation does not apply to persons in transit who remain in sterile transit areas.

Exempt classes of persons – section 6

Section 6 of the mandatory isolation OIC outlines all the classes of persons exempt from quarantine requirements, including:

a) Crew members under the Canadian Aviation Regulations;
b) Crew members under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR);
c) Persons invited by the Minister of Health to assist with the COVID-19 response;
d) Members of the Canadian Forces or a visiting force;
e) Persons determined by the CPHO as providing an essential service (with conditions);
f) Persons whose presence is determined by the Ministers of IRC, GAC or PS to be in the national interest (with conditions);
g) Persons permitted to work in Canada as an emergency service provider under 186(t) IRPR;
h) Persons entering Canada to provide medical services including care, supplies, equipment and repair;
i) Persons entering to receive (non-COVID) essential medical services within 36 hours after entry;
j) Persons permitted to work in Canada as students in a health field under 186(p) IRPR;
k) Licensed health care practitioners with proof of employment in Canada;
l) Persons supporting commercial or research fishing-related activities entering on a vessel;
m) Habitual resident of an integrated cross-border community (i.e. Akwasasne);
n) Habitual resident of Canada returning from the US after carrying out a necessary every-day function;
o) Persons entering on board a vessel engaged in research and authorized by the government;
p) Students enrolled in a listed institution in Canada who enter to attend it regularly;
q) Drivers of students referred in (p);
r) Students enrolled in an education institution in the US who attend regularly but live in Canada;
s) Divers of students referred in (r);
t) Dependent children entering Canada under the terms of a written agreement;
u) Drivers of children referred in (t) entering Canada;
v) Drivers of children referred in (t) returning from the US;
w) Habitual residents of remote communities of Northwest Angle (Minnesota) or Hyder (Alaska);
x) Habitual residents of remote communities of Campobello Island (NB) and Stewart (BC);
y) Persons who returning to Canada from the US without having left their vehicle.

Additional details

Cross-border students

Elementary and secondary students enrolled in listed institutions in Canada who enter to attend school on a regular basis are exempt from quarantine requirements as long as the applicable jurisdiction and local health authority approved quarantine exempt students. The drivers of such students are also exempt from quarantine as long as they enter to escort the student to and from the listed institution. Drivers can only leave the vehicle, if at all, to escort the student to and from the institution and must wear a mask (or face covering) while outside the vehicle.

Students enrolled in educational institutions in the US who attend regularly and return to their habitual place of residence in Canada are exempt from quarantine requirements. The exemption also applies to their drivers who return to Canada after dropping off or picking up students at a school in the US, as long as they wear a mask (or face covering) while outside the vehicle, if at all, and only for the purposes of escorting the student to and from the school.

Cross-border custody arrangements

Dependent children entering Canada under the terms of a written agreement or court order regarding custody, access or parenting are exempt from quarantine requirements. Their drivers are also exempt when travelling between Canada and the US for the purposes of respecting such arrangements as long as wear a mask (or face covering) while outside the vehicle, if at all, and only for the purposes of escorting the child to and from the vehicle.

Cross-border communities

Habitual residents of remote communities of Northwest Angle (Minnesota) or Hyder (Alaska) are exempt from quarantine requirements when entering Canada to access necessities of life from the closest community in Canada where such necessities are available.

Habitual residents of remote communities of Campobello Island (New Brunswick) and Stewart (British Columbia) who return to Canada after going to the US solely to access necessities of life in the closest community where such necessities are available.

Land border crossing

Persons who seek entry to Canada at a land border crossing are exempt from quarantine requirements as long as they remained in their vehicle at all times while outside of Canada after they:
• Were denied entry to the US; or
• Entered US territory without seeking formal entry (“flagpolers”).

High performance amateur athletes and essential personnel (new)

Foreign nationals who are high performance amateur athletes participating in an International Single Sport Event (ISSE) or persons deemed to perform an essential role in relation to an ISSE, may seek entry into Canada as long as they have an authorization letter issued by Heritage Canada (PCH).

The PCH authorization letter issued pursuant to subsection 7(2) of the order may include a risk mitigation plan with specific conditions (quarantine exemption) developed in consultation with PHAC and supported by applicable provincial government and local health authority.

Note: Not all high performance amateur athletes and essential personnel are exempt from the mandatory 14-day quarantine requirement.

Projects

The mandatory isolation OIC has been updated to include an exemption from quarantine for persons who participate in a project (i.e. Alberta Pilot) to gather information to inform the development or quarantine requirements other than those set out in the order as long as they comply with the conditions imposed on them by PHAC. Such projects are entered under an arrangements between the Minister of Health and the minister responsible for health care in the province where the person enters into Canada.

Compassionate entry

Pursuant to subsection 7.1(1), the requirements to remain in quarantine are different for a person who has written authorization from the Minister of Health for entry and a limited release from quarantine for one of the following purposes:
a) To attend to the death of or provide support to a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, temporary resident, protected person or a person registered as an Indian under the Indian Act who is residing in Canada and who is deemed to be critically ill by a licensed health care practitioner l;
b) To provide care for a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, temporary resident, protected person or a person registered as an Indian under the Indian Act who is residing in Canada and who is deemed by a licensed health care practitioner to have a medical reason that they require support; or
c) To attend a funeral or end of life ceremony.

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