Mandatory 14-Day Quarantine for Arrivals

Summary#

This item is an order called Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to COVID-19 in Canada Order (Mandatory Isolation), No. 2. It requires most people who enter Canada to wear a non-medical mask and to isolate or quarantine for 14-days, and it was in force from April 15, 2020 to June 30, 2020.

What it does#

• Requires every person entering Canada to answer questions from border or public health officers and to wear a non-medical mask on entry and while travelling to their place of isolation or quarantine.
• Splits travellers into two groups:
  • Asymptomatic travellers must self-quarantine for 14-days and monitor for symptoms.
  • Symptomatic travellers or people who have COVID‑19 must isolate for 14-days, undergo health checks, and avoid public transport.
• Says people who cannot safely quarantine or isolate where they will not contact vulnerable people or who lack necessities must be placed in a government-designated quarantine facility. The Chief Public Health Officer chooses those facilities.
• Lists exemptions for certain groups, including:
  • crew members of aircraft, ships and some fishing vessels;
  • people brought in to help Canada’s COVID-19 response;
  • Canadian Forces and certain visiting forces;
  • some workers who provide essential services or whose presence is judged to be in the national interest;
  • people in cross-border communities who must cross the U.S. border for everyday functions.
• Repeals or replaces previous related orders and works alongside other border and travel measures.
• Notes penalties under the Quarantine Act for non-compliance — up to $1,000,000 and/or three years imprisonment.

Who's affected#

• People arriving in Canada (air, land, or sea) during the order’s effective period.
• Border staff such as the Canada Border Services Agency and public health officers who will ask questions and enforce the rules.
• People who live in integrated trans‑border communities and cross the Canada–U.S. border for daily needs.
• Operators of quarantine facilities and anyone responsible for transporting people to those facilities.
• Certain groups are explicitly exempt (see list above). If it’s unclear whether a particular traveller is exempt, the order gives officials discretion.

Why it matters#

• The order aimed to reduce cases brought into Canada by travellers, including from people without symptoms, because COVID‑19 can spread before symptoms appear.
• For travellers, it meant planning for a place to quarantine or isolate for 14-days and wearing a mask when entering and moving to that place. If they could not do that safely, they risked being sent to a government quarantine facility.
• Non-compliance could lead to serious penalties.
• For communities and health systems, the order was intended to lower the chance of imported cases adding pressure to local health services.