Airline industry, travellers rejoice over lifting of COVID-19 border restrictions
Ottawa announced Monday it will officially lift all COVID-19 border restrictions as of Oct. 1, a move that's been called for by those within the airline industry for months.
The ArriveCAN app will become optional, random testing at airports will go away and travellers will not need to provide their vaccination status.
Mask mandates on planes, trains and buses will also be scrapped.
Andy Gibbons, WestJet’s vice-president of government relations and regulatory affairs, says the company supports the government’s change of direction.
“We feel heard today. These changes are long overdue,” said Gibbons.
“If you are a frontline aviation employee, whether it's a pilot, flight attendant or (gate) agent, you have been through a lot in the last few years.”
There have been more than 1,100 reported incidents of mask non-compliance on WestJet planes this year, an increase from 2021.
Last week, the airline said those situations have caused one air turn-back, nine gate turn-backs and 74 flights to reopen the cabin door after boarding, to offload unruly guests.
The government says the removal of these border measures is the result of modelling indicating Canada has "largely passed" the peak of the Omicron wave of infections; Canada's high vaccination and lower hospitalization and death rates; and the availability of boosters, rapid tests and treatments.
However, the federal health minister has not closed the door on restrictions coming back.
“The Government of Canada will maintain the ability to re-establish certain border measures, should they be required in the future,” said Jean-Yves Duclos.
Transportation Minister Omar Alghabra says the government’s approach to restrictions was rooted in science.
“We’ve always maintained that the extraordinary measures we introduced at our borders, and on airplanes, trains and boats, are temporary,” he said.
Calgary’s Airport Authority says the last two and a half years have been difficult, but they are on the road to recovery.
“If you had a choice of a nine- or 15-hour flight on an American carrier or a European carrier, without a mask, or a Canadian carrier with a mask, it discouraged Canadians from booking with Canadian carriers,” said Bob Sartor, president and CEO.
“We will be about 80 per cent recovered from 2019’s record by the end of this year. We're already moving along quite nicely. We are the most recovered of the eight large airports in the country.”
In 2019, YYC saw more than 18 million guests travel through, and Sartor expects the same or close to that by the end of the year.
Sartor predicts Calgary will smash records in the next few years, forecasting more than 20 million passengers flying in and out.
North Floridian Mark Rains landed in Calgary on Monday for a hunting trip.
He says he’s glad he will not have to wear a mask or use ArriveCAN the next time he comes to Canada.
“I think a little bit of common sense,” said Rains.
“It takes a little bit too long getting in here. I'm glad to see Canada do that. That's a great thing.”
Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious-disease specialist, says the use of masks should be considered a valuable tool in preventing the spread of COVID-19, even if it's now an optional measure.
"I think it’s important to recognize that masking is helpful, especially in indoor environments, where we know the vast majority of COVID is transmitted," said Bogoch.
"We know it’s transmitted primarily through the air between people and masking can reduce the risk of transmission."
Bogoch says it's not lost on him that some might be uncomfortable with this, but they should do it anyway.
"In indoor environments, you heard this announcement. It was very clear that they strongly recommend that people wear masks," said Bogoch.
"While travelling on planes, I’m not sure if people will do so, but it's still strongly recommended."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States, injuring at least three people.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.