Transport Minister Omar Algabra has defended the government’s decision to impose mandatory COVID-19 testing on passengers coming from China, Hong Kong and Macau – despite the views of experts who say the move will do little to limit the spread of the virus .
On Thursday, Canada joined several other countries — including the United States, some European nations, India and Japan — in imposing the testing requirement.
China is grappling with a rising number of COVID-19 cases after easing restrictions and backing away from its strict “zero COVID-19” policy.
WATCH | ‘It’s the sensible thing to do’: Transport minister on COVID testing for Chinese travelers
‘It’s the sensible thing to do’: Transport minister on COVID testing for Chinese travelers
Pre-flight COVID-19 testing for passengers from China “isn’t the be-all and end-all,” Transport Minister Omar Algabra said on Power & Politics on Thursday, “but it adds a layer of protection.”
Algabra told CBC News Network’s Power & Politics that requiring testing is “the sensible thing to do.”
“These measures are working. There will always be people who say, ‘Well, it’s not perfect,'” he told host Catherine Cullen. “But it adds a layer of protection.”
Infectious disease and global health experts told CBC News the move will are doing little to prevent new cases of COVID outside of Canada.
Dr. Fahad Razak, former head of Ontario’s COVID advisory board, told CBC News Network on Wednesday that it doesn’t make sense to impose testing requirements on just one state.
“The idea that you can only control travel from China and protect Canada doesn’t really make sense scientifically,” Razak told host Hannah Thibedeau.
A woman pushes a luggage cart at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport amid a wave of COVID-19 infections, Dec. 30, 2022 (Tingshu Wang/Reuters)
Jeff Morrison, president and CEO of the National Airline Council of Canada (NACC), also criticized the government’s decision.
“Canada’s pre-departure pandemic testing policies have been largely ineffective in identifying cases of COVID-19 and preventing the spread of the virus and should no longer be enforced,” Morrison said in a media statement released Thursday.
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) says the testing measure is being pushed in part because of the limited availability of epidemiological and other data coming out of China — a point Algabra echoed.
“At a time of lack of information coming out of China about their COVID situation … this is the sensible thing to do,” he said.
A Sunwing aircraft is parked at Montreal Trudeau Airport in Montreal on Wednesday, March 2, 2022. (The Canadian Press)
Algabra also said it would support fining Sunwing Airlines in response to the company’s holiday travel debacle.
Hundreds of travelers who used Sunwing to reach warm-weather destinations during the holiday season found themselves stranded by flight delays and cancellations. The airline attributed the delays to the major storm that hit much of Canada around Christmas.
Many passengers were stranded for days as Sunwing tried to adjust its flights.
The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) is an independent, quasi-judicial body responsible for enforcing passenger rights and has the power to fine airlines up to $25,000 if they fail to comply.
Asked if he would support fines against Sunwing, Algabra said it was up to the CTA, but he would support the organization if it decided to impose such penalties.
“If they [the CTA] choose, I will certainly support them to do their job,” he said.
CBC asked the CTA if it was considering fines against Sunwing, but did not receive a response by the time of publication. The agency told the CBC it has issued just 25 fines since the new air passenger protections went into effect in 2019.
Some passengers are calls for a class action against the airline.
Travelers line up to check in for their Sunwing Airlines flights at Terminal 2 of Cancun International Airport in Cancun, Quintana Roo state, Mexico on December 27, 2022. (Elizabeth Ruiz/AFP/Getty Images)
Sunwing CEO Steven Hunter and President Len Corrado apologized in an open letter Thursday and said the company was accepting eligible compensation claims.
“We had clear performance gaps, particularly in responding to weather-related delays and the effects of severe weather disruptions,” the letter said.
“We would like to assure our customers that we are committed to doing better and regaining their trust in the coming weeks and months.”
Hundreds of rail passengers were also trapped on Via Rail trains running between Windsor, Ontario and Quebec City after a stretch of track was closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Conservatives, NDP want Alghabra to testify
The Conservatives and NDP are calling on Algabra to testify before a House of Commons committee about the holiday travel mess.
Conservatives and New Democrats on the House of Commons transport committee sent a letter to the chair of the committee on Wednesday demanding a meeting as soon as possible.
“It’s not enough for a Liberal minister to tweet that the situation is unacceptable,” NDP transportation critic Taylor Bachrach said in a media statement Wednesday.
“He is the minister charged with overseeing Canada’s transportation system and has specific powers under the 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 travelers.”
The committee’s chairman, Liberal MP Peter Schiffke, tweeted on Tuesday that he planned to convene a meeting to deal with the travel chaos with the CEOs of Sunwing and VIA Rail.
Opposition MPs are demanding that all hearings include a two-hour question-and-answer period with Algabra. The transport minister told the CBC he would appear if asked.
Standing committees normally meet on a previously agreed schedule or when called by the chairman, but a meeting may be called at the written request of any four of their members.
In addition to Bachrach, Conservative Party transport critic Mark Strahl signed the letter, as did the other three Conservatives on the committee.
The commission is due to meet on Monday to discuss seeking testimony from Algabra and the executives.
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