Notes from TIAO Calls with CBSA
In the morning call with Micheal Prosia (Southern Ontario Chief of Staff with CBSA) and Claudia Stefanon (Superintendent at Rainy River), the following questions were asked and answered:
Who is responsible for temperature checks?
· Transport Canada is responsible for temperature checks. CBSA does questionnaire screening and then shares the information with Public Health. CBSA also has quarantine officers that check for accommodation and quarantine plans. If travelers are “essential” but don’t have satisfactory plans, they will be turned away.
When will the border open?
· Until the COVID situation in the US is under control, the border will remain closed. Both felt the border will remain closed until the winter.
When the border opens, will the quarantine order be removed? What about contact tracing?
· Both the contact tracing and enforcement of the Quarantine Act are done by Public Health therefore CBSA can’t answer this question. CBSA believes that the quarantine requirements and contact tracing will be reviewed based on the situation and these orders may remain once the border opens.
How can the Government be sure that people are staying quarantined for the 14-days if they provide Public Health with a cell number?
· Public Health will conduct random calls and random house checks at the address you provided as your quarantine location throughout the 14 days. If you don’t pick up your phone or you are not home when they do a house check, you will be fined. The Government is also looking at a tracing app that individuals will need to download to their cell phones during the quarantine period to help with these issues.
Who’s responsible for enforcing the 14-day quarantine?
· Public Health is responsible for enforcing the Quarantine Act. CBSA has nothing to do with it once the individual leaves the point of entry.
Will CBSA consider regional reopenings?
· Definitely not. The issue with regional reopenings is that people will see those ports as their golden ticket into Canada and may take the time to travel to those few ports of entry. It will be an all or nothing deal.
Does CBSA receive a notice a week before the border extensions are officially announced.
· Unfortunately, many times CBSA finds out about the extensions the day before or the same day as the public does.
Is there a way that the border closure could be extended for more than 30 days? This will help provide more certainty for operators.
· Unfortunately, the 30-day extensions are done through the Federal Government. CBSA does not have any control on the extensions. CBSA understands this is not ideal for anyone, especially businesses who are struggling to plan. The review every 30 days allows the Federal Government to make adjustments to the rules surrounding who can and can’t cross so CBSA does not anticipate that changing.
Will the border open to other countries before it opens to the United States?
· Unfortunately, that decision is made above CBSA so we don’t have an answer for that.
Will Canadian snowbirds be permitted to re-enter Canada?
· Every Canadian citizen can not be denied entry into Canada if they leave however, they will be expected to quarantine for 14 days upon return. Whether or not the snowbirds will be permitted to get into the USA is another story.
There are rumors that US camp operators may become “non-essential” again and will not be able to come back into Canada – if this true?
· No, it definitely is not true. As long as you have a valid work permit you will be permitted to enter Canada.
If a US camp owner crosses back into the US, and then returns to Canada, will they be permitted to re-enter?
· As long as you have a valid work permit you will be permitted to re-enter but you will be subject to the 14-day quarantine.
Will the ArriveCan and the Tracing App be required to enter Canada?
· It’s not required yet however it is highly recommended as it greatly helps with contact tracing and turnover times at the border crossings.
What steps have CBSA put forward to assure the health and safety of individuals crossing the border and their staff?
· There is PPE available, social distancing is enforced, individuals must wait in their cards, seating has been removed inside the waiting areas, and all questionnaires (both physical and through the app) are shared with Public Health for them to follow-up and enforce the Quarantine Act. Occasionally we have Transport Canada officers who do temperature checks.
Will there be COVID-19 testing at the border?
· Surprisingly there has been no talk about testing at the border. If they fail the questionnaire or don’t have a satisfactory quarantine plan, they will be denied entry.
What are the criteria to open the border?
· This is unknown as the direction comes from higher up than CBSA. Currently the main focus is the COVID numbers in the US. There will be no regional reopenings, it will definitely be an all or nothing deal when it comes to reopening the border.
Does CBSA keep track of individuals who have been denied entry into Canada.
· Yes. Refusals are shared with other border crossings to prevent individuals from going “port shopping”. There have been cases when we decline an individual at Rainy River and they drive to Fort Frances to try again. Our database flags individuals who try again.
When the border opens, can people quarantine in cabins at a lodge?
· Unfortunately, quarantine means that these individuals won’t be allowed to go fishing if the border opens before the end of the season. Quarantine means you are inside your place of accommodation for the entire 14-days. US clients need to understand that quarantine is different than socially distancing.
Additional notes:
Both Pearson and CBSA have turned away many people looking to travel for recreational purposes. The border remains closed to all non-essential travel and officers, although not confirmed, anticipate that the closure to last until the winter. There are several individuals who still try to get into Canada for recreational and leisure purposes, primarily from the United States. These individuals are turned away immediately.
CBSA is strongly encouraging the use of the ArriveCan app. It’s a contact tracing app that collects personal information from those entering Canada which is stored and shared by Public Health to help them with their contact tracing efforts and to speed things up at the border crossings. CBSA is looking at potentially implementing “express lanes” when the border opens for those who have completed the form on the app prior to crossing the border. Individuals can fill these forms on the app up to 48hr before crossing the border. Info on the app: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/latest-travel-health-advice.html#ua
