The federal government will soon extend the Quarantine Act restrictions requiring out-of-Canada travellers to isolate for 14 days upon their arrival in Canada.
This requirement would otherwise expire tomorrow.
Up to this time, all returning Canadians were told they had to self-isolate for 14 days and that they were prohibited from stopping anywhere along the way home.
Once isolated, the traveller was required to report the development of any COVID-19 symptoms to public health officials.
A person who normally lives with an elderly person or someone with a compromised immune system, for example, would have to quarantine elsewhere.
More recently, Canadians returning home from abroad who didn't have credible plans to self-isolate were required to stay at a quarantine facility.
In addition, travellers returning from abroad were required to wear non-medical masks or face coverings before they could proceed to their final destinations.
If a traveller develops symptoms during a quarantine period, or is exposed to someone who does, the 14 days of isolation begins again.
If the Canada Border Services Agency suspects that a returning traveller is not going to comply with the rules, it can alert the Public Health Agency of Canada, which can then flag the RCMP's national operations centre. The RCMP has been playing a coordinating role with local police during the pandemic.
Maximum penalties for failing to comply with the Quarantine Act include a fine of up to $750,000 and/or imprisonment for six months. If someone jeopardizes another's life while wilfully or recklessly contravening the act, the penalties are even greater: $1 million or three years in prison, or both.
The Canada/U.S. border has also been closed, at least until July 21, except for essential (commercial) travel.
