Jump to content

Travel during the continuing PANDEMIC


Guest

Recommended Posts

2 hours ago, Fido said:

For me there are so many exemptions to the quarantine rules that it is like paying big money to insulate your house but then leaving the windows open all of the time.

Fair enough, but that doesn’t mean that well heeled geezers who whine about having to provide a negative PCR test upon return to Canada during a pandemic aren’t tiresome crybabies.

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

A positive COVID-19 test allows travellers to skirt hotel stay: CBSA officerHannah Jackson  4 hrs ago
 
A Canadian Border Services officer is ringing the alarm bells over one of the country’s COVID-19 measures at the border which they say could be allowing cases of the virus to be imported into Canada.
In February, the federal government announced new, more stringent rules for travellers: anyone entering Canada via airplane has to stay in a government-approved accommodation (GAA) – referred to as ‘COVID hotels’ – for three days and must provide a negative COVID-19 test taken 72-hours before departure.
Read more: COVID-19 hospitalizations, ICU admissions growing for younger Canadians amid 3rd wave
Another option for passengers, however, is to provide a positive COVID-19 test taken 14 to 90 days before the aircraft’s departure.
“When there’s changes or new loopholes or exemptions that can be exploited, it takes a bit of time for people to learn about it and learn what to do,” a CBSA officer said. The CBSA officer, whose identity Global News has agreed not to share, expressed concerns that this rule is how Canada could be importing a number of COVID-19 cases into the country.
“So we hadn’t been seeing really any -- I don’t remember seeing any positive tests -- and then when that exemption was kind of known about… then we started noticing people carrying a positive test.”
If a traveller chooses to do the latter, the Health Canada website states that person may “go directly to your place of quarantine and remain there for the full 14-day quarantine period.”
This means those travellers are not required to stay at one of the GAAs, and are therefore not subject to the same scrutiny as those who are forced to stay at the hotels.
Video: Trudeau says passengers arriving on non-direct flights from India will have to provide negative test before departure
In April, the officer said they saw around two to five positive tests from travellers a day, which exempts the person from a stay at one of GAAs.
“I don’t think there’s anyone I’ve worked with that hasn’t received a positive test from someone at some point,” they added.
In an email to Global News, Anne Genier, a spokesperson for Health Canada said the exemption “addresses the potential for residual positive tests given that individuals can continue to test positive up to three months after they have recovered and are no longer infectious.”
“From February 22 to April 28, 2021, a total of 331 travellers have provided proof of a previous positive molecular test taken between 14 and 90 days before departure,” the email read.
Asked whether the agency is concerned that this rule could allow travellers to skirt the rules, Genier said if an air operator suspects someone is providing “false or misleading information with respect to their COVID-19 molecular test, they must report the traveller’s name and flight information to the Minister of Transport as soon as feasible.”
She added that any traveller who provides false or misleading information about their health during screening “could be subject to a penalty of up to $5,000 under the Aeronautics Act.”
But, the CBSA officer said verifying that these positive tests are legitimate is difficult.
“There’s no standard because every clinic that’s issuing a test has a different format,” they said.
CBSA officers try to verify the name, the date, and the test’s result, looking for any obvious errors, but beyond that, verification is nearly impossible, this officer said.
“We’re not in charge of the investigation side of these tests, nor the determination of their validity,” they said. “Those concerns are flagged for public health.”
Read more: Air travel to Canada drops a month after feds implement COVID-19 quarantine hotels
Asked how officials confirm a test presented by a traveller is legitimate, Jacqueline Callin, a spokesperson for CBSA confirmed officers “have the authority to review, challenge and confirm travellers’ statements and direct them to a quarantine officer.”
“(Officers) are trained in examination techniques and use indicators, intelligence, and other information to determine a person’s admissibility to Canada,” Callin wrote. “This includes confirming the documentation required to be found admissible is valid and authentic.”
Callin added, though, “where questions arise with regards to a travellers’ quarantine plan, health status or molecular test documentation, CBSA border services officers refer the traveller to a Public Health Agency of Canada Quarantine officer who will make a determination on the next steps.”
"It is important to note that the CBSA does not issue fines in the enforcement of the Quarantine Act requirements; the decision on whether to pursue any enforcement action related to the public health orders rests with PHAC and/or the police of jurisdiction," the email read.
Between Jan. 7, 2021 and April 22, 2021, the agency intercepted 14 “suspected fraudulent test result documents at airports of entry," Calin said.
However, the CBSA was unable to confirm how many of those were suspected fraudulent positive COVID-19 tests.
Time to shut down all travel?
Colin Furness, an infection control epidemiologist and assistant professor at the University of Toronto, said allowing those who present a positive test 14-90 days before their date of travel to skip the COVID-19 hotels is “extremely foolish.”
He said anyone with Photoshop could doctor a document to say they have previously had COVID-19.
“So you’re just inviting people to do that,” he said. “Moreover, the presuming variant certainly seems to be very adept at re-infecting, so the fact that someone’s had COVID shouldn’t give them a free pass.”
At the least, all people who enter Canada should be subject to a 14-day stay at a quarantine facility, Furness said, regardless of the COVID-19 test they provide at the airport.
Read more: Despite more testing, less travel needed to stem COVID-19 spread at land border: expert
What Canada really needs to do is “stop travel” altogether, Furness said. “It’s a really simple thing.”
Furness said only Canadian citizens and really essential workers should be allowed to fly into the country, and then should be subject to a mandatory, 14-day quarantine at a supervised facility.
“We’d have plenty of space for them if we had fewer travellers,” he said.
The CBSA officer agreed, saying Canada needs to close this exemption, adding that anyone entering Canada should have to stay at one of the GAA COVID-19 hotels.
“I work at a border that's closed, but I'm busy,” they said. “So that's a concern.”
While the number of people entering Canada has fallen dramatically compared to pre-COVID times, many people are still choosing to travel.
Last year saw an 87.5 per cent decrease in the number of travellers entering Canada compared to 2019, according to CBSA data.
However, the latest data released by the agency said between March 22, 2020, and April 11, 2021, a total of 11,983,716 people had travelled into the country.
Of those, 2,768,055 travellers have entered Canada via airplane.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reiterated that "now is not the time to travel."
Trudeau said, "the only people travelling across our border in any way right now are either permanent citizens or Canadians returning home, essential workers and a limited number of exceptional cases."
Trudeau said his government is "following very closely" the data collected at the border, saying so far there has been an "extremely low and manageable number of cases."
He added, though, that his government is "always looking at doing more enforcement and stepping up on the penalties" at the border. "And we will continue to work with the provinces on that," he said.
Trudeau pointed to the use of rapid COVID-19 tests at airports, saying there are millions of tests available that are being underutilized. 
Data supplied to the Canadian Press by PHAC show that more than 2,000 people returning to Canada since the federal government brought in the hotel quarantines have tested positive for COVID-19.
More than a quarter of them were infected with one of the new, more transmissible variants of concern (VOC).
The numbers showed that between Feb. 22 and April 22, 557 international air travellers tested positive for o
 

image.png

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

More than 500 air passengers fined for defying hotel quarantine rules after landing in Vancouver and Toronto

Some air passengers who landed in Montreal and Calgary say they have yet to be fined for breaking the rules

Quote

"I think I'm just as safe to get my ass home and sit here for two weeks,"

allan-prout-snowbird-mexico.jpeg

"No visit, no phone call, no nothing."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Turkish Airlines launches new direct flights from Vancouver to Istanbul

From Daily Hive Vancouver – link to source story – Thanks to JS

Kenneth Chan | May 3 2021

Turkish Airlines launches new direct flights from Vancouver to IstanbulTurkish Airlines’ Boeing 787-900 Dreamliner at Vancouver International Airport. (Turkish Airlines)

In the midst of the current travel climate, Vancouver has just gained a new frequent non-stop flight route to Istanbul.

Turkish Airlines began its three times weekly service from Vancouver International Airport (YVR) to Istanbul Airport (IST) yesterday, May 2.

The route departs YVR at 5:25 pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, and arrives in IST at 2:55 pm the next day. For return trips, flights leave IST at 2:10 pm on the same days and arrive at YVR at 3:55 pm.

This service uses a Boeing 787-900 Dreamliner with 30 business class and 270 economy class seats.

The airline first announced its plans before the pandemic to launch a Vancouver service, but the scheduled inaugural flights in June 2020 were postponed.

All flights operated by Turkish Airlines were suspended between mid-March until the end of June 2020, with the flag carrier restarting its five weekly flights to Toronto and three weekly flights to Montreal later that summer.

The addition of Vancouver to the airline’s itinerary brings it up to 11 weekly flights to and from Canada.backpack europe

Istanbul, Turkey. (Shutterstock)

Turkish Airlines states it is practicing the latest best practices for health traveller safety.

“Now more so than ever, passenger health and safety is at the forefront of what we do and this is especially important as we continue to support essential travel and cargo transportation during this pandemic,” said İlker Aycı, chairman of the board and executive committee for Turkish Airlines, in a statement.

“As the Turkish national flag carrier, we have specified new criteria and taken new measures in all our procedures together with health authorities.”

While connection possibilities are currently limited due to the global curtailing of flight routes as a result of travel restrictions, the new direct flight to IST provides passengers from YVR with a new way to connect to flights serving other destinations in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, including the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. IST is a major international hub with 50 million annual passengers prior to the pandemic.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 hours ago, Kargokings said:

Most Canadians favour vaccine proof for domestic travel, sporting events: Nanos survey

Coronavirus: Most Canadians favour vaccine proof for domestic travel, sporting events: Nanos survey | CTV News

I really don't care what "most" Canadians favour. Most Canadians don't have a clue and will happily give up mine and everyone else's rights at the drop of a hat.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Maverick said:

I really don't care what "most" Canadians favour. Most Canadians don't have a clue

That’s a bit much coming from someone who declared that we had shut the economy down over a flu.

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Top Democrat tells Biden administration: Get to work reopening border with Canada

Schumer adds political muscle to push for expanded travel, demands immediate measures

Alexander Panetta · CBC News · Posted: May 06, 2021 12:19 PM ET | Last Updated: 1 hour ago

This item is part of Watching Washington, a regular dispatch from CBC News correspondents reporting on U.S. politics and developments that affect Canadians. 

What's new

There's new political muscle in the United States pushing for a return to more regular travel between Canada and the United States after more than a year of pandemic-related disruptions.

 

The top member of the U.S. Senate, Chuck Schumer, has written a letter to members of the Biden administration making several demands regarding the border.

He's asked Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for four things.

One is a detailed Canada-U.S. plan — released as soon as possible — explaining what rules and health-related benchmarks will guide the return to non-essential travel. He said this should add clarity and transparency to a process that's confused and frustrated people.

And in the interim period, he immediately wants to see Canada and the U.S. allow more people to travel. Schumer wants the definition of essential travellers expanded to include vaccinated people who have property, educational, medical or business reasons for crossing the border.

He also wants clarity for boaters and, finally, he wants a safety plan for border agents including access to testing, vaccines and protective equipment.

Why it matters to Canadians and cross-border travellers

Other lawmakers from Schumer's border state of New York have been making similar calls with little sign of progress. Neither national government has made it a priority to articulate a reopening plan for the border.  

But Schumer's entry into the debate is a sign of increased pressure on the national governments to at least begin articulating their longer-term intentions. 

"Having endured one of the deadliest chapters in New York's history, the residents along the border are ready to turn the page and re-establish the familiar links to their loved ones, their property and their prosperity," Schumer's letter said.

"It is now incumbent on the federal government to do their part and aid their desperate desire to fully rebuild and recover. This recovery cannot be done, and I will not rest, until bilateral collaboration to safely reopen the United States and Canadian land border is an utmost priority and a plan for a full reopening is publicly released."

One reason for Schumer's optimism about reopening is the progress the U.S. has made on residents receiving COVID-19 vaccines. Nearly 50 per cent of adults in New York state are fully vaccinated, and indoor dining is expanding this week to near-full capacity in New York City.

The United States remains far ahead of Canada in its share of fully vaccinated residents. However, with vaccine hesitancy becoming an issue in many states, the pace is slowing down, and Canada is steadily catching up in the rate of residents having received a first dose. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 minutes ago, FA@AC said:

That’s a bit much coming from someone who declared that we had shut the economy down over a flu.

Well, since the flu has disappeared and we've now spent ourselves almost to the point of complete financial oblivion, what do you think? Wouldn't change a thing? Everything done so far was right on point?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Maverick said:

Well, since the flu has disappeared and we've now spent ourselves almost to the point of complete financial oblivion, what do you think? Wouldn't change a thing? Everything done so far was right on point?

Engaging in hyperbole does nothing to advance your argument.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

34 minutes ago, J.O. said:

Engaging in hyperbole does nothing to advance your argument.

Fair enough Jeff. My point is this, our government has consistently missed the mark at every step and there's no sign of that changing in any meaningful way.

This virus is definitely more dangerous than the seasonal flu but at what point ($) do we throw in the towel? I'm not advocating a full open up at all but we need to (and still haven't) properly protected the elderly and the immuno-compromised until such time that they can get their vaccines. This is still a 99+% survivable virus. Yes there are and will continue to be people more adversely affected than others. That's the way it goes even with the seasonal flu.

The country can't stay locked down for another year.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Maverick said:

This is still a 99+% survivable virus. Yes there are and will continue to be people more adversely affected than others. That's the way it goes even with the seasonal flu.

 

Only if ICUs and medical staff can keep up.....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

55 COVID-19-positive flights arrive in Alberta in last 2 weeks

By Mia Holowaychuk  Global News

Posted May 6, 2021 4:27 pm

 Updated May 6, 2021 4:36 pm

There were 55 flights arriving in Alberta with confirmed COVID-19 cases over the last 14 days, according to the government of Canada. Of those, 49 were domestic flights and six were international flights.

On April 30, three flights arrived with positive cases, marking the last recorded date that infected flights have entered the province thus far. Flights and possible rows that are considered close contacts are as shown:

  • WestJet flight WS231, Halifax to Calgary (YYC) Rows 13 to19.
  • WestJet flight WS3136, Fort McMurray to Calgary (YYC) Rows 15 to 21.
  • WestJet flight WS663, Toronto to Calgary (YYC) Rows 13 to 19.

The government of Canada states that if you have recently returned to the country, you must quarantine for 14 days starting from your arrival date, regardless if you are feeling symptoms or not. If you are feeling symptoms, you must continue to quarantine and get tested immediately.

These planes were carrying individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 and may have been infectious to others at the time of travel. Twenty-nine per cent of infected Canadian domestic flights have had positive cases arriving in Alberta.

 

 

These airlines include Air Canada, West Jet, Swoop, Northwest Air and Air Canada. Positive domestic flights from April 21 to May 6 include arrivals from Montreal, Toronto, Halifax, Fort McMurray, Hay River, Grand Prairie and the Vancouver area (including Abbotsford). These flights have carried a COVID-19-positive traveller in at least one row of the flight.

Ten per cent of all COVID-19-positive international flights have arrived in Alberta. Flight arrivals from April 21 to May 6 include those from Dallas, Amsterdam and Denver. New travel restrictions implemented by the government of Canada state that all individuals that are planning to travel must present a negative test taken within 72 hours before boarding.

The government of Canada also states that any travellers who show any COVID-19-related symptoms such as coughing, fever or runny nose will not be permitted to travel into or throughout Canada. There have still been flights carrying individuals with positive cases. As of May 6, there have been 24,156 active cases, which is higher than any other province or territory per capita to date.

Although travel restrictions such as avoiding non-essential travel and a mandatory two-week quarantine when arriving into the country have been implemented by the government of Canada, provinces such as Alberta and Saskatchewan do not enforce any further restrictions related to travel.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Kargokings said:

Only if ICUs and medical staff can keep up..... and of course the death rate is quite different.

Mortality for COVID-19 appears higher than for influenza, especially seasonal influenza. While the true mortality of COVID-19 will take some time to fully understand, the data we have so far indicate that the crude mortality ratio (the number of reported deaths divided by the reported cases) is between 3-4%, the infection mortality rate (the number of reported deaths divided by the number of infections) will be lower. For seasonal influenza, mortality is usually well below 0.1%. However, mortality is to a large extent determined by access to and quality of health care. 

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Similarities and differences with influenza (who.int)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Maverick said:

Fair enough Jeff. My point is this, our government has consistently missed the mark at every step and there's no sign of that changing in any meaningful way.

This virus is definitely more dangerous than the seasonal flu but at what point ($) do we throw in the towel? I'm not advocating a full open up at all but we need to (and still haven't) properly protected the elderly and the immuno-compromised until such time that they can get their vaccines. This is still a 99+% survivable virus. Yes there are and will continue to be people more adversely affected than others. That's the way it goes even with the seasonal flu.

The country can't stay locked down for another year.

Maverick....tread carefully. I suggested that vaccination hesitancy should be overcome by "rewards"; I expressed my objection to the Cdn hotel quarantine program; and, I had the temerity to suggest that Canada's response to the virus with untargeted lockdowns and restrictions was ill-advised.

I was labelled a fish monger ( my choice) and a self-indulged whiney old geezer.

Since my impugned post(s), our government has expressed its interest in a vaccination passport supported by 73% of our population ....a "reward"( notwithstanding JO's opinion); an opinion in "The Atlantic" argued in support of targeted restrictions; and, the Crowne Plaza at YYZ ( a quarantine hotel) reported that 13 employees were infected in an " outbreak".

Folks...please understand that the expression of an opinion is exactly that....an expression of opinion and NOT  a declaration of faith. Opinions can ( and should) change based upon the revelation or appreciation of additional facts.

Please don't assume that when a poster expresses opposition to a government policy, they are only seeking to advance their own personal interests. 

Sometimes....rarely, perhaps....one's personal interests and desirable governmental policy coincide.

And sometimes, Lord only knows wherein your personal interests reside let alone those who are so quick to discern and deride.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Canada's not on Britain's latest quarantine-free travel list

Sarah Young and Costas Pitas Published Friday, May 7, 2021 1:02PM EDTLast Updated Friday, May 7, 2021 1:29PM EDT 

LONDON -- The British government on Friday announced a "first tentative step" toward resuming international travel, saying U.K. citizens will be able to travel to countries including Portugal, Iceland and Israel later this month without having to quarantine on their return.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the country’s current blanket ban on overseas vacations is being replaced by a traffic-light system classifying countries as low, medium or high risk.

The "green list" of 12 low-risk territories also includes Gibraltar, the Faroe Islands and the Falkland Islands — but not major vacation destinations for Britons such as France, Spain and Greece. Britons traveling to those countries, including Canada, will have to self-isolate for 10 days upon their return.

All but essential travel remains barred to countries with severe outbreaks, including India and South Africa, and people returning from them face 10 days of mandatory hotel quarantine. On Friday the government added Nepal, the Maldives and Turkey to that list.

Friday’s decision throws into doubt fans’ ability to travel to the Champions League soccer final between two English teams — Manchester City and Chelsea — which is due to be played in Istanbul on May 29.

The changes take effect May 17, the next date on the government’s roadmap out of lockdown. Pubs and restaurants in England can reopen indoor areas that same day, and venues including theaters and cinemas can open to limited audiences.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Most flights carrying COVID-19-positive passengers to Canadian airports were domestic

Mon May 10, 2021 - The Globe and Mail
Tamsin McMahon 
Mike Hager

Quote

He likened those travelling for pleasure during this third wave of the pandemic to anyone who drinks and drives.
“It’s selfish, it’s irresponsible, it’s dangerous and it poses horrible harm to others.”

Flights delivering passengers infected with COVID-19 into Canadian airports are now predominantly domestic routes, a trend that began around the onset of spring break, according to federal data on airplane exposures compiled by The Globe and Mail.

Between Jan 1 and May 5, there were 1,873 flights that arrived or departed from airports across Canada where at least one passenger later tested positive for the virus, according to an analysis of flight details published on a federal government website designed to help passengers determine if they have been exposed to COVID-19 during air travel.

International flights accounted for more than 60 per cent of cases linked to air travel in January and February. But by April that trend had reversed, with domestic travel accounting for more than 60 per cent of flights linked to COVID-19 infections.

Overall, the number of international flights with positive cases fell from 331 in January to 193 by April, while domestic flights saw a near-equal rise – from 195 virus-positive flights in January to 331 last month. April saw the highest number of Canadian flights with positive cases, 524, since January.

The results of the data analysis raised questions among public health experts and political leaders about whether Canada needs to do more to stem the spread of COVID-19 from domestic air travel.

Srinivas Murthy, an infectious disease expert who is co-leading the Canadian arm of the World Health Organization’s global Solidarity Trial testing coronavirus vaccines, said the data indicate that variants have been brought to Canada on flights and across land borders, but now this is less of a concern given the prevalence of domestic flights with at least one infected passenger.

“All of our attention on our national border doesn’t really address us solving the problem internally,” said Dr. Murthy, a clinical associate professor at the University of British Columbia.

Preventing people with the disease from spreading it to other places where there’s less COVID-19 is imperative, he said, but he had no easy fixes as to how to stop this trend.

The rise in domestic flights linked to positive cases in recent months is being driven by a surge in travel across Western Canada starting in late March and early April, roughly coinciding with spring breaks in B.C. and Alberta.

Alberta in particular saw a sharp increase in air travel linked to COVID-19. Nearly 150 flights left airports in the province in April with passengers who later tested positive for the virus, up from fewer than 30 a month earlier. That included 30 flights arriving in Calgary from Fort McMurray, where the regional government recently declared a state of emergency. Of 115 flights linked to positive cases that landed in Alberta last month, just 10 were international arrivals.

Premier Jason Kenney last week imposed a new lockdown across the province to stem the spread of COVID-19, but the measures do not include travel restrictions.

B.C. saw a steep rise in flights linked to COVID-19 cases between March 19 and April 9. Nearly 130 flights carrying passengers who later tested positive arrived at B.C. airports during that three-week period. Of those, four-fifths came from other parts of Canada, according to data from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control.

Unlike Ontario and Quebec, the B.C. NDP government has said it does not have the jurisdiction to stop other Canadians from vacationing within its territory, based on a confidential legal opinion from a provincial adviser. Instead, anyone flying or driving into B.C. must remain in the one of the three regions the province has created to limit long road trips.

After reviewing the new data compiled by The Globe, Mike Farnworth, B.C.’s Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor-General, has a message for anyone in Canada contemplating a non-essential trip out West: “Stay away. We don’t want you right now; this is not the time to visit.”

He said his government has previously raised concerns with Ottawa around domestic air travel and now wants people flying within Canada to prove they recently tested negative for COVID-19 – the same as international travellers.

“I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t,” he said in a phone interview on Friday.

Last week, Ontario’s ruling Progressive Conservative Party went further in its criticism by launching an ad blitz attacking the federal Liberal government for not shutting down international travel before variants of concern were introduced into the country. Premier Doug Ford’s government has demanded that Ottawa imposes predeparture COVID-19 testing for domestic flyers and bans “all non-essential travel” into Canada.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government is willing to work with Ontario to further tighten borders. Mr. Trudeau added that his federal government has already limited most international travel to Canada, with exceptions that include temporary foreign workers, agricultural workers and those allowed in for compassionate reasons.

Unlike much of the rest of Canada, international travel remained the largest source of flights linked to COVID-19 cases in Ontario, accounting for two-thirds of such flights to the province in April.

Canada has stopped all direct flights from hard-hit India and Pakistan and requires three negative tests from all international air travellers, who must also stay in quarantine hotels for three nights awaiting test results, then complete their 14-day quarantine at home. Those crossing land borders also require three tests and must follow a quarantine plan reviewed by a border officer.

The Globe asked the federal ministers of health and public safety and emergency preparedness for comment on the flight data Friday morning and whether Ottawa will take further steps to curb domestic air travel, but none of their spokespeople replied.

Last month, the Public Health Agency of Canada said more than 2,000 international passengers tested positive for COVID-19 after arriving in Canada over the eight-week period that ended April 22.

Colin Furness, an infection control epidemiologist and assistant professor at the University of Toronto, said he is curious about how many domestic flyers may have spread the disease further upon arriving at their destination.

Provinces could impose a special levy on those domestic flyers not travelling for essential reasons to try to curb this trend, Dr. Furness said.

He likened those travelling for pleasure during this third wave of the pandemic to anyone who drinks and drives.

“It’s selfish, it’s irresponsible, it’s dangerous and it poses horrible harm to others.”

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Colin earned his PhD at the iSchool in 2010, focused on the relationship between organizational information culture and the effective use of collaborative information systems.  Prior to that, he earned his Master’s at the iSchool, becoming one of the early Information Architects working in New York’s ‘Silicon Alley’ of the late 1990s. In 2011 he began teaching MI courses as a sessional instructor, and in 2017 he accepted the iSchool’s first permanent teaching stream faculty appointment. Prior to joining the faculty, Colin worked at a technology start-up focused on hospital infection control measurement and improvement.

Colin is currently the Faculty Liaison for the Knowledge Management/Information Management Concentration. He also assists with administering and supervising the iSchool’s Co-Op program. 

 

The above is the UofT bio for Colin Furness quoted in the article.

The article referenced 2000 int'll travellers tested Covid positive in an 8 week period....250/wk.....during a period in which Ontario was reporting over 6000 cases per day.

Assuming those pax testing positive did so immediately upon arrival, they were in quarantine and presumably posed no immediate threat to others since they were required to remain in quarantine.

If they tested positive 10 days after arrival, they were potentially infected by persons here....and not travelling.

No....I'm not attempting to justify my own actions. They are irrelevant to an analysis of the Globe article and the characterizations of Mr.Furness.

Assume Bob travelled across the US border for pleasure. On return by car, Bob had no immediate contact with ANYONE except a CBSA agent in a booth 8' away. Bob had a negative pcr. He proceeded to his place of quarantine which was fully provisioned and where he resided alone. He tested negative on the day or arrival and again 8 days later.

Please tell me how Bob can reasonably be likened to a drunk motorist!!

Ed decided to take a pleasure trip from Toronto to Sudbury. Ed was accompanied by his buddies. They visited friends...a bunch of them....and returned to Toronto....no tests; no masks.

Who of the two is the villain?

Blanket villification serves little purpose in generating appropriate measures to control the inevitable spread of Covid.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, UpperDeck said:

Assume Bob travelled across the US border for pleasure. On return by car, Bob had no immediate contact with ANYONE except a CBSA agent in a booth 8' away. Bob had a negative pcr. He proceeded to his place of quarantine which was fully provisioned and where he resided alone. He tested negative on the day or arrival and again 8 days later.

Please tell me how Bob can reasonably be likened to a drunk motorist!!

Ed decided to take a pleasure trip from Toronto to Sudbury. Ed was accompanied by his buddies. They visited friends...a bunch of them....and returned to Toronto....no tests; no masks.

Who of the two is the villain?

Furness' Twitter account mentions that he's an infection control epidemiologist.

Your example draws a distinction between those who cross borders and those who don't.  He doesn't see any such distinction as far as I can tell.  He considers all non-essential travel during the pandemic to be irresponsible.  Agree with him or not, his position is clear to me.

Edited by FA@AC
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, UpperDeck said:

Please tell me how Bob can reasonably be likened to a drunk motorist!!

So if a drunk motorist, driving alone, makes it to their destination without happening to hurt/kill anyone, there wasn’t any risk and that makes it okay?

What if Bob had an accident during his drive home? What if he needed medical attention for other reasons during his quarantine period? There are hundreds of reasons why Bob could be forced out of his quarantine quarters and into close contact with others despite his best efforts & intentions. So if Bob makes it through his quarantine period as planned, there wasn’t any risk and that makes it okay?

Please tell me your question was rhetorical.

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

What if ..... what if ..... what if ...... what if a CBSA agent or a worker at a service centre contracted Covid from a truck driver? One of thousands that cross the border every day, without testing or vaccinations?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, FA@AC said:

Furness' Twitter account mentions that he's an infection control epidemiologist.

Your example draws a distinction between those who cross borders and those who don't.  He doesn't see any such distinction as far as I can tell.  He considers all non-essential travel during the pandemic to be irresponsible.  Agree with him or not, his position is clear to me.

No dispute. His position is clear.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...