New Domestic Air and Rail Screening Measures

Seems like things change on a daily basis. Sometimes, it even feels hour by hour. Starting tomorrow, new measures are being taken by airlines and trains to screen people before they are able to travel. At the end of last week, Prime Minster Justin Trudeau announced that there will be no more domestic travel by plane or train for those showing coronavirus symptoms. So now airlines and trains have to increase their screening process, which would prevent people showing signs of the virus (e.g. cough, fever and difficulty breathing) from boarding.

This means that there will be limited travel within Canada by air or rail, as the restrictions come into effect on Monday, March 30, 2020 at noon EST. The buses still remain unaffected at the moment, as they are under provincial regulations, not federal.

Here’s a sample of what we can expect by train from VIA Rail:

  • VIA Rail employees will conduct a series of health checks before boarding.
  • Passengers will be denied boarding if:
    • They are experiencing symptoms similar to a cold or flu (fever, cough, difficulty breathing)
    • They have been denied boarding for travel in the last 14 days due to medical reasons related to COVID-19

The reality is that if you do have the symptoms, you should probably not have left the house anyway, much less make it to the airport or train station. That being said, everyone have their reasons.

Either way, please be safe everyone!

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