Cancun, Q.R. — In a bid to curb the spread of the new Coronavirus variants, Canada’s Prime Minister has announced the cancellation of flights into Cancun. The canceled flights include all Mexican and Caribbean destinations and will last for three months.
In a press conference on January 29, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the government, as well as the country’s main airlines, have agreed to suspend sunny destination services beginning Sunday (January 31).
“The government and Canada’s main airlines have agreed to suspend service to sun destinations right away,” he said detailing airlines including “Air Canada, WestJet, Sunwing and Air Transat are canceling air service to all Caribbean destinations and Mexico starting this Sunday up until April 30.”
For the next three months, all sun destinations into Mexico and the Caribbean have been suspended. Travelers entering the country from other destinations are required to undergo a Coronavirus test, and pending the result, will need to quarantine at an approved hotel, at their expense, for three days to rule out a Covid-19 infection.
Trudeau says that the cost could be “about $2,000 CDN.” In the event the test is negative, the traveler will be released to self-quarantine for 14 days at home under “increased surveillance measures”, he says. Trudeau says the government of Canada has hired private security to help enforce the efforts.
The strict measures are in response to the new Coronavirus varients being detected, some of which, could be more deadly.
“We know these variants represent a real challenge, and that’s why we need to take extra measures,” Trudeau said clarifying that while “the number of cases tracked back to international travel is extremely low, it’s not zero.”
One of Canada’s main carriers, WestJet explained “the government asked, and we agreed,” posted Ed Sims on the airline’s website. “While we know that air travel is responsible for less than 2% of cases since the start of the crisis, and even less today, we recognize the government of Canada’s ask is a precautionary measure.”
The suspension of Canadian flights into Cancun and the rest of Mexico, will begin January 31 last until April 30.
Source: RMN
