Over 100 travellers at YVR have refused mandatory hotel quarantine

Over 100 travellers arriving at the YVR Vancouver International Airport have refused the mandatory hotel quarantine since the program first began.

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) says that as of April 7, 2021, 106 tickets have been issued. They were given to travellers who arrived in British Columbia without having booked a government-authorized accommodation (GAA) and refused to go to one.

A spokesperson from PHAC says that the fine for refusing the hotel quarantine is $3,000, which means potentially, over $300,000 in fines has been issued. Individuals who refuse can also be fined or criminally charged under the Quarantine Act for submitting false information regarding their quarantine plan.

“A person who causes a risk of imminent death or serious bodily harm to another person while wilfully or recklessly contravening this Act or the regulations, including submitting false information related to an individual’s quarantine plan, could be liable for a fine of up to $1,000,000 or imprisonment of up to three years, or to both,” the spokesperson tells Daily Hive in an email.

• See also: 
  • Mandatory hotel quarantine for international travellers to take effect on February 22
  • Here are all the authorized hotels for quarantining passengers in Canada
  • Travellers planning future trips are flooding Canada’s quarantine hotel bookings

The hotel quarantine program began in late February and requires that anyone arriving in Canada from an international destination provide several negative COVID-19 tests.

The first test must be taken up to 72 hours before their scheduled departure time, a second is required upon arriving in Canada, and a third is needed at the end of the mandatory 14-day quarantine.

While waiting for their test results, travellers must quarantine in a GAA, which costs $2,000 per person, including the cost of private COVID-19 tests.