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Government Announcements
- Federal Cabinet Shuffle
- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has made some changes to cabinet, announced on January 12 and prompted by Liberal Navdeep Bains stepping down as Minister
- Navdeep Bains is stepping down from Cabinet and François-Philippe Champagne, currently Minister of Foreign Affairs, becomes Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
- Marc Garneau, currently Minister of Transport, becomes Minister of Foreign Affairs.
- Omar Alghabra, currently Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister (Public Service Renewal) and to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, becomes Minister of Transport.
- News link: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-cabinet-shuffle-small-1.5869679
- Canada U.S. Border Closure
- COVID-19 Vaccine Update
- The federal government has signed for another 20M doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. This brings the total to 80M doses by the end of 2021, enough to vaccinate the entire Canadian population with the two doses required for the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna products.
- News link: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-vaccines-covid19-1.5869906
- Negative COVID-19 Test Required for all Air Travelers Coming to Canada – starting January 7th at 12:01 am
- All air passengers 5 years and older will be required to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test before traveling to Canada. The test must be performed using a COVID-19 molecular polymerase chain reaction (or PCR) test within 72h prior to scheduled departure. Individuals are still required to quarantine for 14 days upon return.
- Exemptions include flight crews & travellers from Haiti will be exempt until January 21.
- Airlines must confirm a negative test, take temperature, ask about COVID exposure and screen for symptoms.
- All travelers crossing by air, land or sea will be required to digitally submit forms through ArriveCAN.
- Regardless of arrival method, all arrivals must continue to quarantine for 14 days.
- Due to decrease in demand, Air Canada has had to cut services to Labrador, Yellowknife, & Reduces Routes to Newfoundland
- WestJet Announces Layoffs and Flight Reductions
- Inbound testing announcements made by the government have resulted in significant reductions and cancellations
- Approximately 30 percent of current February and March flights will be removed. Resulting in a decline of almost 80 percent compared to previous years. WestJet plans to introduce furloughs, temporary layoffs, and reductions to the hours of workers. The airline is suspending 11 routes to major southern vacation destinations.
- News link: https://bit.ly/396IrI0
- Federal Government to Close Travel Loophole for Sick Pay – Retroactive Jan 3rd
- Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough announced today she will be proposing legislation so that international travellers who need to quarantine upon returning to Canada — including people returning from vacation, visiting loved ones, and attending to real estate matters abroad — will not be eligible to receive support for the period of their mandatory quarantine.
- Press Release: https://bit.ly/3scUbBD
- Ontario announces new restrictions as of January 14
- Effective Thursday, January 14, 2021at 12:01 a.m., the government is issuing a stay-at-home order
- Release link: https://bit.ly/3oFAsbw
- Quebec Announcement on Restrictions
- Premier François Legault introduced a province-wide curfew, 8 pm-5 am which began on Saturday, January 9, 2021
- New restrictions and the curfew will last until at least February 8th
- Release link: https://bit.ly/38l7Oqq
- BC has extended current public health measures to February 5th
- Manitoba Expands Small Business Grant to Include More of the Tourism Sector
- The Manitoba government is extending the Manitoba Bridge Grant eligibility to include hotels, resorts, lodges and outfitters, travel agencies, and owner/operators of licensed passenger transportation businesses as well as extending the application deadline until Jan. 31.
- Release link: https://bit.ly/35Cluvw
- Alberta has extended current public health measures with an exception for schools
- Alberta Pilot Program Finds 1.5% Positive With No Symptoms
- Alberta’s Pilot program has shown 1.48 percent of the roughly 20,000 people arriving. These individuals showed no symptoms before testing positive for COVID-19 upon arrival.
- News link: https://bit.ly/3i5800e
- NWT Tourism Risks Collapse If Borders Remain Closed
- The NWT Chamber of Commerce says there's a risk the entire tourism industry could collapse if border restrictions stay up through 2021. Tourism is vital to the N.W.T. economy because it sustains other businesses in the hospitality, arts, and retail sectors.
- News link: https://bit.ly/3nEuIh5
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