As travel increases and delays continue at Canada’s busiest airport, along with the emergence of new Omicron sub-variants, some say the situation will not ease soon.
“I’m telling you to pack up, pack up your patience,” travel expert Jim Byers told CTV News Channel on Sunday.
“Bring a podcast to listen to, carry a book, take a nap, set your iPhone’s alarm for about an hour, and just get some rest or go for a walk, because it’s inevitable.”
Travelers have been disappointed for weeks with long delays, canceled flights and winding trainings at Toronto Pearson International Airport.
Nearly half a million passengers were detained after arriving on international flights to Pearson in May.
Some point out that staffing levels at customs and immigration offices, as well as border measures against COVID-19, combined with an increase in passenger traffic, are contributing to the problem.
Byers says passengers must arrive in Pearson about three hours in advance just to be safe.
Although there are some legitimate problems around the world, such as supply chain constraints, he says almost everyone in the tourism industry has anticipated this “delayed demand”.
The federal government says it has hired nearly 900 Canadian air security officials across Canada to help deal with the waiting time.
It also suspended mandatory random tests for COVID-19 at all airports from 11 June. The suspension will continue until the end of the month before moving out of the site.
As of Monday, local and outgoing international passengers are no longer required to show evidence of vaccination against COVID-19. Foreigners coming to Canada still need to be vaccinated to enter.
Meanwhile, Dr. Christopher Labos, a Montreal-based cardiologist and epidemiologist, warned Canadians to consider the risks when traveling.
“I mean, there are a lot of places in Europe where COVID is growing. There are many places in the United States where COVID is on the rise. So there are definitely jumps in the game right now, “he told CTV News Channel on Sunday.
Some experts say that increasing the sub-variants of Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 could lead to an increase in cases in Canada.
Labos says you have to be careful depending on where you go and what you do.
He also warned passengers to check their travel insurance policies for any exceptions based on whether a person is receiving COVID-19.
“If you’re going somewhere and sitting on the beach and not actually interacting with other people, then your risk of getting COVID is probably quite low,” Labos said.
“But if you’re going to places, and you’re going to nightclubs, and you’re going to go to a lot of indoor spaces, and you’re going to get in touch with a lot of people, there’s a certain risk there.”
With files from CTV News and The Canadian Press
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