March 16, 2020

Ottawa, Ontario

COVID-19 is a rapidly evolving global issue. The Government of Canada will do everything necessary to protect the health, safety, and wellbeing of Canadians, and is working around the clock to limit the spread of this pandemic. This is a critical time, and our top priority remains the safety and security of all Canadians.

  The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today outlined additional actions being taken under the Government of Canada’s whole-of-government response to COVID-19 to limit its spread and to provide support to Canadian travellers. The Prime Minister also strongly urged Canadians to heed the following recommendations that:

• All Canadians avoid non-essential travel outside the country until further notice.
• Canadian travellers return to Canada via commercial means while they remain available.
• All travellers to Canada self-isolate for 14 days upon entry, with exceptions for workers who are essential to the movement of goods and people.

COVID-19’s spread has affected people in countries around the world. To protect Canadians and to ease the potential burden overseas travellers could place on our health care system and its frontline workers, the Prime Minister announced that, beginning March 18, 2020 at 12:01 a.m. EDT, the Government of Canada will, for air travel specifically:

• Bar foreign nationals from all countries except the United States from entering Canada. The measure would not apply in designated exceptional circumstances, including to air crews, travellers arriving in Canada in transit to a third country, Canadian permanent residents, diplomats, or immediate family members of Canadian citizens.
• Redirect international passenger flight arrivals to four airports: Toronto Pearson International Airport, Vancouver International Airport, Montréal-Trudeau International Airport, and Calgary International Airport. At this time, this measure will not affect domestic flights or flights from the United States, sun destinations such as Mexico and the Caribbean, or St. Pierre-et-Miquelon, which can continue to operate on their regular routes and land at current Canadian destinations. The Government is working closely with the airline industry and airports to avoid unnecessarily disrupting operations and minimize additionally inconveniencing travellers.
• Strengthen screening measures at airports, including stronger and more visible messaging, health screening at kiosks, and enhanced cleaning and disinfection of high-traffic areas and facilities at airports.

In addition, airlines will prevent all travellers who present COVID-19 symptoms, regardless of their citizenship, from boarding international flights to Canada. Airlines will conduct a basic health assessment of all air travellers based on guidance from the Public Health Agency of Canada.

The Government will also provide support to Canadians affected by COVID-19 abroad. To help these Canadians return home or cope with challenges they are facing while travelling, the Government has created the COVID-19 Emergency Loan Program for Canadians Abroad. The Program will provide the option of an emergency loan to Canadians in need of immediate financial assistance to help them return home or to temporarily cover their life-sustaining needs while they work toward their return.

These measures are part of a larger strategy the Government of Canada is implementing, based on science, to prioritize the health and safety of Canadians, ensure the capacity of our health care system, support international and domestic efforts, and mitigate the economic impacts on Canadians and Canadian business.

Today’s announcement builds on earlier measures put in place to respond to COVID-19, including waiving the one-week waiting period for Employment Insurance sickness benefits, enhancing the Work-Sharing Program, funding vaccine development and clinical trials, and investing to support the health care system in our provinces and territories.

PMO Media Relations