Mandatory 14-Day Isolation for Arrivals

Summary#

The Public Health Agency of Canada used the Quarantine Act to issue several emergency orders in March 2020 that tightened travel rules during the COVID‑19 pandemic. The main measure, the Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to COVID-19 in Canada Order (Mandatory Isolation), required people arriving in Canada to isolate for 14 days (effective March 25, 2020 to June 30, 2020). Other companion orders restricted most foreign nationals from entering Canada (with specific exceptions) and limited non‑essential entry from the United States.

What it does#

• Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to COVID-19 in Canada Order (Mandatory Isolation):

  • Requires anyone entering Canada to immediately self‑isolate and monitor for symptoms for 14 days.
  • People with a fever plus cough or breathing difficulty must tell a screening or quarantine officer and undergo any required health assessments.
  • Symptomatic travellers who cannot safely self‑isolate (for example, if they would need public transport or would be in contact with vulnerable people) can be moved to and required to stay in a designated quarantine facility for the 14‑day period.
  • Lists exceptions (e.g., crew and some military personnel, people working on the COVID response, certain essential service providers).
  • Effective from March 25, 2020 to June 30, 2020.

• Orders limiting entry by nationality or purpose:

  • One order generally prohibited foreign nationals from entering Canada if they arrived from countries other than the United States, with many specific exemptions (family of Canadians, some workers, health professionals, diplomats, protected persons, some transport crews, etc.). Some versions ran to June 30, 2020.
  • Separate orders restricted non‑essential entry from the United States, required travellers to have been only in the U.S. or Canada for the prior 14 days in many cases, and blocked refugee‑claim entries from the U.S. in most circumstances (with limited exceptions).
  • These prohibitions were updated several times in March 2020 to add or clarify exemptions (for example, for some Temporary Foreign Workers, students with approved permits, and medical deliveries).

• Other practical measures and impacts mentioned in the explanatory notes:

  • The start of the cruise ship season for vessels able to carry more than 500 passengers was deferred from April 2, 2020 to July 1, 2020 (and Arctic cruise stops deferred for the season).
  • Enforcement: failing to follow these orders can lead to penalties up to $1,000,000 or 3 years imprisonment, or both.

Who's affected#

• Travellers arriving to Canada by air, land, rail or sea.
• Most foreign nationals who planned to enter Canada for tourism or other optional purposes.
• People who are symptomatic on arrival — they face extra screening and may be taken to a quarantine facility.
• Industries that rely on cross‑border travel: aviation, tourism, cruise and passenger vessels, ferries, and parts of the agriculture and food sector that rely on Temporary Foreign Workers.
• Families of Canadians and many categories of workers and students were explicitly carved out as exceptions, so effects vary by individual status.
• Indigenous peoples and protected persons were treated differently in the orders (they are generally not subject to the entry prohibitions in the same way).

Why it matters#

• The orders made voluntary 14‑day self‑isolation into a legal requirement for most people arriving in Canada. That aimed to reduce importation and community spread of COVID‑19 and to protect health system capacity.
• For travellers and families, the rules changed who could enter Canada and under what conditions. Returning Canadians had to plan for isolation; some foreign nationals could be turned away.
• For businesses and sectors that depend on cross‑border movement (airlines, cruise operators, tourism, seasonal farm work), the orders meant lost travel, delayed seasons, and a need to adjust staffing and logistics.
• The orders also gave federal agencies legal tools to enforce isolation and entry rules, including heavy penalties for non‑compliance.