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The Canadian government in cooperation with major airlines in Canada have suspended all flights to Cancun and other sunny destinations effective on January 31st. The move comes as Canada looks to keep its citizens home for the upcoming March break when many travelers seek out sunny trips to destinations like Cancun.
Other destinations banned include Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Bahamas and all popular vacation spots in Mexico.
Justin Trudeau made the announcement today saying that he is taking extreme measures to protect the safety of Canadians. While Trudeau acknowledged that fewer than 2% of all Covid-19 cases are linked to international travel, he still believes 2% is too many to ignore.
‘We have some of the strictest border measures in the world, and today we’re strengthening them’
Justin Trudeau
The Canadian government announced the following measures:
→ WestJet, Air Canada, Air Transat and Sunwing will be suspending all flights to sun destinations including Cancun effective Sunday January 31, 2021 until at least April 30, 2021
→ Starting Monday Feb 1, 2021 all international flights must only land at these 4 airports: Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal
→ Mandatory PCR testing at these 4 airports for returning passengers upon arrival
→ Mandatory government-approved hotel quarantine while passengers await PCR results, for approximately 3 days, for an expected cost of $2000 per traveler
Prior to the new announcement the ASUR who manages the Cancun International Airport reported the Canadian visitors had already been drastically reduced throughout the year as a 14 day quarantine kept many Canadians at home.
More Canadians cancelled their trips south as new testing measures were announced requiring all Canadians returning home to provide proof of a negative Covid-19 PCR test. Today the final move by the Canadian government is sure to ground any Canadian travelers who were still planning a trip.
Canadians Have 72 Hours To Take Direct Canadian Flights Home
Trudeau’s announcement of flight suspensions to/from sun destinations starting this Sunday only give Canadians abroad less than 72 hours to try and find routes home before possible flights might completely disappear until April.
Trudeau stated airlines will “be making arrangements with their customers who are currently on a trip in these regions to organize their return flights,” but with such short time frames, and not all customers abroad on round-trip vacations, the demand versus supply is expected to be an issue.
Read More:
Cancun Airport Offering Antigen Tests For Americans
Resorts Offering Free Covid-19 Test
Travel Insurance That Covers Covid-19 For Americans
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