| Canadian Government Needs to Consider Safe Options and Reopen Borders |
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| The International Air Transport Association (IATA) urges the Canadian government to support the COVID-19 testing initiatives of Air Canada and WestJet as a means to safely reopen Canada to international and domestic travel without the need for blanket quarantine measures. International traffic to Canada has plummeted since quarantine measures were introduced in March 2020.
‘‘There are alternatives to the quarantine measures currently in place that can both keep Canadians safe as well as revive the economy. The ICAO multi-layered approach (Take-off guidance) is one. The work that Air Canada and WestJet are doing on testing adds another dimension. It is critical that the Government of Canada acts on these before the economic and social damages become permanent and the public health consequences of mass unemployment become even more apparent,’’ said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO. Economic Impact on Canada:
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Adds ATCNews that other countries’ governments, among them Uganda, need to hear that too to prevent further damage to the tourism industry and the economy at large.
There no longer is any rational leave alone scientific reasoning for a continued border and airport closure, now that numerous health and safety protocols have been introduced and tested world wide, and for Uganda more so as key neighbours like Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia are open, up and running and doing business at Uganda’s expense.
