On the eve of the lifting of the vaccination obligation in air and rail transport in Canada, the federal Minister of Transport, Omar Alghabra, defended himself from having reacted to delays in airports, while many travelers are still doing faced with a long wait due to sanitary measures, as well as the violent storms of the last few days.
The decision [de mettre fin à l’obligation vaccinale dans les transports] was not taken due to delays at airportsinsisted Mr. Alghabra during an interview with Rosemary Barton broadcast Sunday morning on CBC.
Last Thursday, wind and storms forced the delay and cancellation of many flights at Montreal-Trudeau airport. Four days later, flights continue to be canceled.
This is on top of the long queues that have been causing headaches for airlines and travelers for the past few weeks. They would be caused, according to the Minister of Transport, by the shortage of manpower in airports, but also because of the random tests for vaccinated travelers. The wait can range from a few hours to a few days, according to some passengers.
Mr. Alghabra, however, assures that the situation has improved in recent days as new measures have been put in place and more staff have been hired.
Employees who were on sick leave will be able to return to work [et] it will bring a little more manpower to the airportssaid the president and CEO of Late Flight, Jacob Charbonneau, when asked about the long delays experienced by passengers.
” I’m not saying that there are no difficulties at the moment, but we have seen improvements over the past few weeks. “
The Minister added that the decision to lift the vaccination obligation was based on studies, and that health measures could be lightened in a safe manner. It should be noted that they could be reinstated if epidemiological conditions deteriorate.
We want to be careful. And we want to be sure we have the right tools before lifting the restrictionsmentioned the minister to Rosemary Barton.
Easing measures for Canadians
This change applies only to travel within Canada and to flights and trains departing from Canada. If you are arriving in Canada from another country, you must still follow all entry requirements, including vaccinations and screening, including cruise ships.
And random testing for unvaccinated travelers will continue to apply, Alghabra repeated. And wearing a mask remains mandatory throughout the trip.
We can announce adjustments to our health measures because Canadians have stepped up to protect themselvesrecalled the federal Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Dominic LeBlanc, during a press conference last week.
On cruise ships, vaccination of tourists and employees will remain mandatory, given the higher risks of spread linked to promiscuity between travellers.
Last week, the House of Commons suspended the vaccination requirement for MPs, parliament staff and visitors, which had been in place since November.
This change will affect federal workers who had been placed on unpaid leave due to their vaccination status. Employees who have been suspended will be contacted by their managers so they can resume their activities, Treasury Board President Mona Fortier said last week.
About 98.5% of some 283,000 federal employees have received at least two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to the Government of Canada. The end of the vaccination obligation also affects the RCMP and businesses under federal jurisdiction.
With information from Danielle Kadjo
Charles-Emile L’Italien-MarcotteCharles-Emile L’Italien-Marcotte
Source: Radio-Canada
