Every Friday, we publish a weekly update on COVID-19 and its effect on business. View our complete library of COVID-19 resources and daily webinars here.

New Domestic Travel Restrictions For Canada

On March 28, 2020, Marc Garneau, Canada’s Minister of Transport, announced that as of March 30th, domestic travel by plane or train will no longer be permitted for anyone showing coronavirus symptoms.

The Government of Canada website has listed the full measures for air and train travel as follows:

Air

  • “A requirement for all air operators to conduct a health check of travelers before they board a flight within Canada or departing from Canada, based on guidance from the Public Health Agency of Canada. This would include asking health questions, looking for visible signs of illness prior to boarding, and recommending the traveler follow guidance from local health authorities.
  • A requirement for air operators to refuse boarding to a passenger that presents COVID-19 symptoms. The denial will remain in effect for a period of 14 days, or until a medical certificate is presented that confirms that the traveler’s symptoms are not related to COVID-19. These measures will apply to aircraft with 10 seats or more.
  • A requirement for air operators to notify travelers that they may be subject to provincial or territorial measures at their final destination.

Rail

  • A requirement for intercity passenger rail companies to do a health check to screen passengers for COVID-19 symptoms before they board a train, based on guidance from the Public Health Agency of Canada. This will include company representatives asking simple health questions, looking for visible signs of illness prior to boarding, and recommending the passenger follow guidance from local health authorities.
  • A requirement for intercity passenger rail companies to refuse boarding to a passenger that presents COVID-19 symptoms. The denial will remain in effect for a period of 14 days, or until a medical certificate is presented that confirms that the traveler’s symptoms are not related to COVID-19.
  • These measures do not apply to commuter trains.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s April 3 address to Canadians on the COVID-19 crisis

The PM said Amazon will distribute medical equipment across Canada—and military help is headed to Quebec.

“Amazon will use its wide distribution network for the purpose of guaranteeing the delivery where medical equipment is most necessary. The second news is regarding the Canadian Armed Forces. We received a request from Quebec for the Canadian Armed Forces to intervene for the purpose of helping isolated and remote communities. As I said, the members of the CAF are always ready to do so in order to fight COVID-19.” said Trudeau.

Read more about Prime Minister Trudeau’s latest update on Maclean’s.

Getting ahead of the next stage of the coronavirus crisis

McKinsey details two practical steps you can take to help stay ahead of the next stage of the COVID-19 crisis:

  1. Launch a PLAN-AHEAD TEAM to get ahead of the next stage of the crisis.
  2. Direct that team to work across multiple time horizons, using five frames.

To get ahead of the next stage of the crisis, read McKinsey’s article and learn how to launch your plan-ahead team here.

Remember…

While the coronavirus continues to spread quickly, it is important to remember that only a small percentage of patients need special treatment to recover. Trusted health experts continue to emphasize that the general population shouldn’t panic and should instead focus on practicing proper hygiene, such as hand-washing and refraining from touching the facial area.

Stay up to date on the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) by visiting the World Health Organization and the Government of Canada website.

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