NDP push for more travel rules during pandemic

EDMONTON (660 NEWS) — With a highly contagious COVID-19 variant now present in Alberta and spreading around the world, the official opposition is calling on the province to put stricter measures in place to reduce cases coming in as a result of air travel.

The B117 variant, first identified in the United Kingdom, has been identified several times in the province, including one instance where it appears to have been contracted through community spread.

Another dangerous variant of the virus has also been linked to South Africa, and these cases have led the provincial government to make some changes to a pilot program around air travel.

Health Minister Tyler Shandro announced on Monday that travellers arriving from the UK or South Africa would not be able to partake in the program in place at the Calgary International Airport, which allows passengers to access COVID-19 tests so they can have results when they land at their destination to ensure they are not infected. Then, if passengers get a second negative test a week later, they do not have to stay in quarantine for 14 days.

Due to the variant, travellers from those two hotspots have to quarantine for 14 days no matter what.

But NDP leader Rachel Notley said that is not enough, and this testing program should be paused as a proactive measure.

“And strictly enforce the 14 days of quarantine on non-essential travellers entering our province through an airport,” she said.

Since the variant has also been identified in countries such as the United States and Japan, Notley said there’s too much risk. Also, the pilot program will also be expanded to the Edmonton airport next week.

“The Government of Alberta’s border pilot program still allows airline passengers from those countries, and others, to break quarantine early on the strength of rapid tests which we know to be less accurate than PCR tests.”

Not all tests performed through the airport are rapid tests, but that is one of the options available for travellers.

Notley added that domestic flights should also be subject to these rules, as the variant has been discovered on dozens of domestic and international flights according to the federal government.

She said there also should not be any barriers present for air cargo or other shipments in order to reduce impacts on the economy. Notley also said that this is not about targeting the airline industry but rather ensuring that all people are safe.

Meantime, there is also a push to restrict interprovincial travel after Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister announced that everyone coming into that province will also have to quarantine for 14 days.

Health Minister Tyler Shandro said that is not being considered.

“We know that there’s travel that needs to be made through provinces. We’re not looking at advocating for any changes to interprovincial travel at this time,” he said. “The main goal is to make sure that we limit community spread of COVID throughout our provinces and throughout the country, but doing it in ways that are smart and thoughtful.”

Shandro said he is hopeful Alberta can discuss the issue further and ensure everyone is on the same page on how to reduce the amount of cases.

Notley also had scepticism about interprovincial restrictions and stressed the real risk surrounding the spread of the more contagious variants appears to be tied to air travel.

“I do think that we should be imposing the quarantine on all flights — domestic and international,” she said. “The inter-border travel outside of flights is less clear, in terms of its contribution to the growth of the variant in Alberta. And obviously, it has significant consequences for a number of communities in Alberta and a good deal of economic activity.”

Notley said the government should look at any evidence that may prove otherwise, and there should be some more consideration before any decisions are made on interprovincial travel.