TORONTO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 04th June, 2021) Canada will stiffen penalties for entrants not complying with the country's Quarantine Act, namely with those who bypass the controversial hotel quarantine requirement, the Federal government said in an updated travel advisory.
"The Contraventions Act provides police... the authority to enforce the Quarantine Act. Tickets with fines of up to $3,000 [US$2477.49] may be issued for non-compliance. As of June 4, 2021, these tickets carry an increased fine of $5,000 [US$4129.15]," the travel advisory said on Thursday.
The new guidance flies in the face of recommendations from an expert panel convened by the health ministry that called on the federal government to drop its hotel quarantine mandate.
The contentious program is currently being tested in court with the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, Rebel news and journalist Keean Bexte arguing that the quarantine regime violates Canadians' charter rights and is unconstitutional.
Lawyers for the Canadian government have argued that the program is based on scientific evidence that it limits the spread of the novel coronavirus and is more lenient than measures implemented in other countries.
Although the Canadian government is constitutionally prohibited from barring citizens from leaving the country, the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has used the enhanced border security measures to discourage international travel amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Apart from the hotel quarantine requirement, all entrants into Canada must also complete a mandatory 14-day quarantine. As of March 25, 2020, Quarantine Act violators may be subject to a fine of up to $537,000 and/or imprisonment for six months.
