Quebec Premier Calls For Non-Essential Travel Ban
Quebec Premier François Legault is calling on the federal government to ban non-essential international travel.
The Premier indicated that he wants to avoid reliving the situation linked to the March 2020 March break, which could have disastrous consequences for the provinces health system.
While Premier Legault said that it’s understandable that some people have to travel for humanitarian reasons, he also made it clear that there is no reason to buy all-inclusive packages in the South as new, more contagious strains of coronavirus emerge. pretty much everywhere in the world.
The Premier said: “I am very worried to see people arriving every day who return from a trip with the virus. And I’m afraid to relive what happened in March, after the school break, when the federal government took too long to close our borders.”
Premier Legault continued: “It is essential to maintain our vigilance. Every week we vaccinate a lot of vulnerable people and we are able to increase the number of people tested in hot areas. I am proud of Quebeckers and I have confidence that we will get through this. But I ask all of you, let’s avoid non-essential international travel, save lives, preserve our hospital capacity and keep our schools open.”
As a result of these concerns, the Quebec Premier said that he is asking the federal government to temporarily ban all non-essential travel, while as many vulnerable people as possible are vaccinated.
He also wants the federal government to have more control over the quarantine of people returning from abroad.
Not The Time To Travel
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has told Canadians that “now is not the time to travel abroad.”
The Prime Minister said that: “If you have plans to leave the country, please, on behalf of all Canadians, cancel them. A trip south or elsewhere is not worth catching COVID-19 and bringing it back to Canada. As you know, travellers must quarantine when they return to the country and the consequences are very severe for those who do not do it.”
He continued: “As for the new variants of the virus – in England, Brazil, and South Africa – we are monitoring the situation very closely. But one thing is certain: with these new mutations, circumstances could change very quickly. So, again, we are asking all Canadians to stay here, in the country.”
And the Prime Minister warned that as ministers continue to assess various issues day-to-day, “new measures could be imposed without notice, depending on the situation.”
Last week, British Columbia’s Premier John Horgan indicated that the provincial government was seeking a legal opinion on whether it could or could not ban travel into the province.
