How effective are quarantine hotels in Canada?
The Public Health Agency shared whether many travelers who refused a hotel were infected with COVID-19.
Last week, Canada's federal government increased fines for not staying in a quarantine hotel when arriving from abroad. Hotels are designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 because of travelers who travel abroad during a pandemic. But how many cases are detected among those who refused hotel quarantine?
According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, less than 1% of those fined for refusing quarantine tested positive for COVID-19. As of the end of May, 1,130 travellers had been fined, but at day 8 of self-isolation, fewer than 10 of them had confirmed COVID — that is, 0.88%.
A mandatory quarantine of up to 3 days at a hotel was introduced in February 2021, and since then Canada has faced criticism of the decision more than once, including from a federal advisory group that has called on the government to cancel hotels. Nevertheless, authorities continue to defend their necessity.
The hotel stay is paid by the travelers themselves and can cost up to $2,000 CAD for three days. After the hotel, the travellers must continue their self-isolation at home for a total of 14 days.
To avoid staying in a hotel, some travelers fly to the United States and then cross the land border into Canada. In this case, they are only required to self-isolate at home for 14 days.
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