Canada's controversial hotel quarantine for international travellers could soon be coming to an end amidst criticism of its effectiveness and concerns over the mental health of travellers. The hotel quarantine policy was introduced in February 2021 as a measure to curb the spread of COVID-19 and required all travellers entering Canada by air to spend up to three nights in a government-approved hotel. The policy came at a cost to travellers with the average stay costing around CAD $2000 including food and security.
However the policy has been met with criticism with some saying it is ineffective at stopping the spread of the virus and others raising concerns about the mental health impact on travellers. Many travellers complained about the poor conditions in the hotels including poor ventilation lack of access to fresh air and inadequate food. The Canadian government has also faced criticism over the policy's lack of transparency with reports of travellers being left in the dark about quarantine protocols and the length of their stay.
Despite this the Canadian government has defended the policy saying it is necessary to protect the country from COVID-19. However the government is now considering ending the hotel quarantine policy as more Canadians become vaccinated and the number of cases in the country decreases. The federal government has announced that it will be changing its quarantine requirements for vaccinated travellers as well as possibly easing restrictions for non-vaccinated travellers in the coming months.
Despite the potential end of the hotel quarantine policy travellers are still required to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test before boarding their flight to Canada as well as taking another test on arrival and completing a mandatory 14-day quarantine.
