If you have made plans to travel this March Break, the Prime Minister is urging you to cancel those plans.
"We could be bringing in new measures that significantly impede your ability to return to Canada at any given moment, without warning," warned Justin Trudeau. The Toronto Star reports the government is considering mandatory two-week quarantines at a hotel, which the traveller would have to pay for.
Even within the country, Trudeau suggested it is a bad idea.
"Across the country people are being told to stay home, so if you were thinking of travelling across the country for spring break, now is not the time," he said.
Land border crossings between Canada and the U.S. remain closed until February 21, at least. However, many Canadians have been flying in and out of the country.
In recent weeks, a significant number of public leaders have confessed to travelling over the Christmas holidays. The admissions have resulted in the resignation of former Ontario Finance Minister Rod Phillips, along with other smaller profile resignations.
Trudeau implored Canadians to consider the strain on healthcare workers before travelling. In Ontario, where there is a stay-at-home order in effect, many intensive care units are running at or over capacity with COVID-19 cases. The federal government has offered Ontario the use of two federal mobile health units. They will be deployed to the Greater Toronto Area, adding another 200 ICU beds to the region.
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Trudeau also told reporters Friday morning during a news conference that he spoke with Global CEO of Pfizer Doctor Albert Bourla, Thursday evening, and received assurances Canada will receive "hundreds of thousands" of doses of the vaccine for COVID-19 the week of February 15, and each week there after.
The company has informed Canada there will be no shipments of the vaccine next week, and shipments the following two weeks will be significantly reduced as it retools its vaccination plant in Belgium.
He said Pfizer has re-committed to shipping Canada 4-million doses by the end of March.