COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
Classification: Unclassified
Branch/Agency: TB/CBSA
Proposed Response:
- The CBSA continues to work closely with officials from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) to ensure the appropriate border measures are in place and reflective of the risk to Canada.
- The CBSA was part of the whole-of-government coordination effort to assist the return of Canadian travellers who were aboard the Diamond Princess Cruise ship.
- The CBSA continues to contribute to the health and safety of Canada by ensuring travellers returning from the Province of Hubei are provided PHAC guidance should they begin to experience symptoms after they have entered Canada.
If pressed on travellers who continue to arrive from China:
- The CBSA will ensure that on arrival, all travellers will be cleared, as per our normal processes.
- When the CBSA greets travellers who arrive from the Province of Hubei, they screen for signs of illness and provide PHAC guidance to ensure those travellers take necessary precautions upon entering Canada.
- During efforts to bring Canadians home from Wuhan, we had officers on the ground to verify identities and documents of the passengers and ensured security checks were completed to prevent any high-risk travellers from boarding the aircraft.
Background:
On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global health emergency over concern of the potential for the virus to spread to further countries. The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) is in close contact with the WHO to assess the situation and any potential risk to Canadians. The CBSA plays an important frontline role in helping to prevent the spread of serious infectious diseases into Canada and is working closely with PHAC to monitor developments in relation to the novel COVID-19 situation.
On January 22, 2020, enhanced border measures were implemented at Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto international airports. On February 1, these measures were extended to the following airports across Canada:
- Calgary International Airport – YYC
- Edmonton International Airport – YEG
- Winnipeg Richardson International Airport – YWG
- Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport – YTZ
- Ottawa International Airport – YOW
- Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport – YQB
- Halifax Stanfield International Airport – YHZ
As part of the CBSA’s enhanced measures, on February 17, 2020, CBSA border services officers (BSO) on behalf of PHAC began to provide a PHAC COVID-19 form to travellers to complete to obtain flight data and contact information from all travellers who indicated that they have been in the province of Hubei. Once travellers complete the form, it is provided to PHAC who will determine when and how to share information with provincial authorities, allowing authorities to follow-up with the 70 or so travellers who arrive daily from Hubei.
Global Affairs Canada is leading the whole-of-Government effort to repatriate Canadians from the Diamond Princess Cruise ship. The CBSA supports the assisted departure through identity and documentation verification and control, and regular processing upon arrivals.
The CBSA is ready to respond in real-time to issues that arise, such as when 271 Canadian passengers who were on the Westerdam cruise ship were identified as being at risk of carrying COVID-19. These travellers began to return to Canada around February 16, 2020. The CBSA made efforts to greet these travellers on arrival to conduct screening and provide PHAC instructions to ensure travellers take necessary precautions upon entering Canada. This was done to support PHAC and Health Canada to identify and contact these returning travellers to ensure they are subject to additional health screening.
The US continues to suspend entry for immigrant and non-immigrant travellers who pose a risk of transmitting COVID-19. These measures were originally implemented through a Presidential proclamation on January 31, 2020, and also apply to travellers entering the US from Canada
Border Services Officers at airports:
CBSA officers are designated screening officers under the Quarantine Act and are the first point of contact upon arrival at an airport. As screening officers, BSOs conduct a preliminary screening of a traveller based on criteria developed by PHAC, and based on the information available to them at the time a traveller seeks entry into Canada. Travellers who respond “yes” to the screening question are referred for further screening and questioning by the CBSA.
If a traveller feels or looks sick or unwell, they are referred to PHAC for a more detailed assessment. If a traveller does not appear ill, or does not disclose symptoms of illness, they are provided a handout instructing them what to do if they feel ill over the next 14 days.
The health and safety of its officers is of utmost importance to the CBSA. At this time, Health Canada has advised officers interacting with travellers to wear gloves when handling the documents and baggage of potentially ill persons and, to wear gloves, eye/face protection and a mask when escorting and remaining with an ill person. Staff continue to be briefed and trained in the proper use of personal protection equipment.
Contacts:
Prepared by: Robert Lidstone, Senior Policy Analyst, Coronavirus Task Force, 613-952-1908
Approved by: John Ommanney, a/Vice President, Travellers Branch, 613-952-3266