QUESTION PERIOD — Foreign Affairs and International Trade
International Travel Restrictions
March 12, 2020
Honourable senators, my question today is for the Leader of the Government in the Senate and it concerns the coronavirus, which was declared a pandemic yesterday by the World Health Organization.
Last night, leader, the Trump administration announced a travel ban for much of Europe to the United States, which goes into effect Friday and will last for at least 30 days. This decision could not only impact those countries but our own country as well.
Leader, could you please tell us if the Government of Canada was informed in advance of the White House’s announcement last night? What is the Government of Canada’s response to this decision? Is there any consideration within your government of putting in place a similar ban prohibiting European travellers from entering our country for a period of time? Have you assessed whether the U.S. would close its border to Canada if we don’t bring forward such travel restrictions? Is that being discussed with the Americans?
Thank you, senator, for the questions.
This is such a fast-moving situation that I will not have all the answers to all of your questions. I am advised that the Canadian government is in regular contact with its American counterparts, and indeed others, to both understand the measures other countries are putting into place and to advise them of the measures that we are putting into place as well.
With regard to your question about a travel ban within Canada, the position of the government remains that this is not an advisable situation for Canada to adopt. Notwithstanding that other countries have done so — not only the United States, Australia and others — the Government of Canada’s position is that the decision must be made in the best interests of the public health of Canadians.
In terms of what the best evidence tells us, including the recommendations of the World Health Organization and notwithstanding that the situation is now considered a pandemic, it is not in the public interest or in the interest of Canadian health to seal our borders through the device of a travel ban. It runs against the best advice of medical experts in the field. It may also run afoul of international obligations that Canada has assumed under the appropriate regulations.
The government is monitoring this situation by the minute, hour and day, and for the moment I am not advised of any plans to change the government’s position with respect to travel bans.
