“We are being punished for something that was … out of control.” “This is nothing but a nightmare for us,” Lewis from her home, where she and her husband are now stuck in quarantine. Lewis said a PHAC enforcement officer also confirmed by phone that they must isolate - even though the couple are fully vaccinated. However, three days later, they received an email stating that they’re supposed to be in quarantine. Lewis said a border officer let the couple off with only a warning and made no mention of a 14-day quarantine. (CBC)īlanche Lewis of Mississauga, Ont., said that before she and her husband, Valerian, returned home from a road trip to Michigan on July 10, she tried to fill out the app multiple times, but due to some kind of technical issue, it simply wasn’t working. Three days later, she says, they received an email stating that they’re supposed to be in quarantine - even though the couple are fully vaccinated. We’ve seen people who don’t have the technology to fill it out,” said Mark Weber, national president of the Customs and Immigration Union.īlanche and Valerian Lewis of Mississauga, Ont., say they failed to fill out the ArriveCAN app when returning to Canada due to a technical problem. “ people didn’t know there was an app, some people just have a hard time filling it out. However, the union representing CBSA officers argues that the app can lead to congestion because officers have to spend time helping challenged travellers fill it out. The app “improves processing times at the border, as it reduces the time needed for border services officers to question travellers and input their public health information manually,” PHAC spokesperson Tammy Jarbeau said in an email. The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) told CBC News that the pandemic isn’t over and that the ArriveCAN app is a necessary and efficient tool to help keep Canadians safe. “Anything that is complicating the travel process, the travel journey right now is having a negative impact on the return of people travelling again.” Federal government responds “Why do we need it?” said Beth Potter, president and CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada. Since the app was introduced in 2020, it has sparked complaints that it’s cumbersome, has glitches and creates barriers for those who are technically challenged.Ĭonsequently, as travel begins its resurgence, many people with stakes in the tourism industry are calling on the government to end the mandatory use of the app. Travellers who fail to do so could face a 14-day quarantine and even a $5,000 fine. ![]() ![]() Even so, people entering the country are still required to input their travel and vaccination information on the ArriveCAN app. Some politicians say it’s time to drop the app because it creates hassles for travellers.Ĭanada has lifted most of its travel restrictions for fully vaccinated travellers. ![]() ![]() “It kind of came out of nowhere.”Ī Montreal couple ordered to quarantine for 14 days are among the Canadians frustrated by the continued use of the ArriveCAN app. However, six days later, Bennett said Karin discovered several emails in her junk mailbox from ArriveCAN with quarantine instructions. The ArriveCAN app certainly caused problems for Don and Karin Bennett of Burlington, Ont., after they returned to Canada on July 10 from a trip to Chicago.ĭon Bennett said there were no issues at the land border, as they had diligently filled out the app and are fully vaccinated - making them exempt from quarantine.
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