Transport minister defends government’s decision to impose COVID testing on travellers from China | 24CA News
Transport Minister Omar Alghabra is defending the federal government’s resolution to impose necessary COVID-19 testing on travellers coming from China, Hong Kong and Macau — regardless of the opinions of specialists who say the transfer will do little to curb the unfold of the virus.
On Thursday, Canada joined a number of different nations — together with the United States, some European nations, India and Japan — in imposing the testing requirement.
China has been coping with an exploding COVID-19 caseload after easing restrictions and strolling again its strict “zero-COVID” coverage.
WATCH | ‘It is the prudent factor to do’: Transport minister on COVID-testing for travellers from China
Pre-flight COVID-19 testing for travellers from China is “not the be-all and end-all,” Transport Minister Omar Alghabra mentioned on Power & Politics Thursday, “but it does add a layer of protection.”
Alghabra instructed 24CA News Network’s Power & Politics that the testing requirement is the “prudent thing to do.”
“Those measures work. There will always be some people who say, ‘Well, it’s not perfect,'” he instructed host Catherine Cullen. “But it does add a layer of protection.”
Specialists in infectious ailments and international well being have instructed 24CA News that the transfer will do little to maintain new COVID instances out of Canada.
Dr. Fahad Razak, the previous head of Ontario’s COVID advisory board, instructed 24CA News Network on Wednesday that it makes little sense to impose testing necessities on only one nation.
“The idea that you can screen travel from just China and protect Canada doesn’t really make sense scientifically,” Razak instructed host Hannah Thibedeau.
Jeff Morrison, president and CEO of the National Airlines Council of Canada (NACC), additionally criticized the federal government’s resolution.
“Canada’s pre-departure testing pandemic policies were largely ineffective in identifying COVID-19 cases and preventing the spread of the virus and should no longer be imposed,” Morrison mentioned in a media assertion issued Thursday.
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) says the testing measure is being imposed partially due to the restricted availability of epidemiological and different knowledge popping out of China — some extent that Alghabra echoed.
“At a time of lack of information coming out of China about their COVID situation … it is the prudent thing to do,” he mentioned.
Alghabra additionally mentioned he would help imposing fines on Sunwing Airlines in response to the corporate’s vacation journey debacle.
Hundreds of travellers who used Sunwing to achieve heat climate locations over the vacation season discovered themselves stranded as a consequence of flight delays and cancellations. The airline attributed the delays to the most important storm that struck a lot of Canada round Christmas.
Many passengers had been stranded for days as Sunwing tried to regulate its flights.
The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) is an impartial, quasi-judicial physique answerable for imposing passengers rights and has the authority to advantageous airways as much as $25,000 if they do not adjust to laws.
When requested if he would help fines in opposition to Sunwing, Alghabra mentioned it is as much as the CTA however he would help the group if it determined to impose such penalties.
“If they [the CTA] choose to, I certainly will support them in doing their job,” he mentioned.
CBC requested the CTA whether it is contemplating fines in opposition to Sunwing, however didn’t obtain a response by publication time. The company has instructed CBC that it has levied solely 25 fines for the reason that new air passenger protections got here into pressure in 2019.
Some passengers are calling for a class-action lawsuit in opposition to the airline.
Sunwing’s CEO Stephen Hunter and President Len Corrado issued an apology in an open letter on Thursday, and mentioned the corporate is accepting eligible claims for compensation.
“We had clear failures in execution, particularly in responding to weather-related delays and the aftermath of severe weather disruptions,” the letter mentioned.
“We would like to reassure our customers that we are committed to doing better and regaining their trust in the weeks and months ahead.”
Hundreds of rail passengers additionally ended up trapped on Via Rail trains operating between Windsor, Ont., and Quebec City following the closure of a stretch of observe on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Conservatives, NDP need Alghabra to testify
The Conservatives and NDP are calling on Alghabra to testify earlier than a Commons committee on the vacation journey mess.
The Conservative and New Democrat members of the House of Commons transport committee despatched a letter to the committee’s chair on Wednesday requesting a gathering as quickly as potential.
“It’s not enough for the Liberal minister to tweet that the situation was unacceptable,” NDP transport critic Taylor Bachrach mentioned in a media assertion on Wednesday.
“He’s the minister charged with overseeing Canada’s transportation system and has specific powers under legislation. If anyone can do something to protect passengers, it’s him. Canadians deserve to know what steps he took during the crisis and plans to take in the future to protect passengers.”
The chair of the committee, Liberal member of Parliament Peter Schiefke, tweeted Tuesday that he deliberate to name a gathering to handle the journey chaos with the CEOs of Sunwing and VIA Rail.
Opposition MPs are requesting that any hearings additionally embody a two-hour question-and-answer interval with Alghabra. The transport minister instructed CBC he would seem if requested.
Standing committees often meet on a beforehand adopted schedule or when referred to as by the chair, however a gathering will be referred to as on the written request of any 4 of its members.
In addition to Bachrach, the Conservative Party’s transport critic Mark Strahl signed the letter, as did the opposite three Conservatives on the committee.
The committee is scheduled to fulfill Monday to debate searching for testimony from Alghabra and the CEOs.
