Thought of the Day - October 12 - Domestic Travel Restrictions

Our eastern provinces are adopting the Zone system as a more granular way to manage the spread of COVID. Hoping to avoid wholesale province-wide shutdowns. However, you have to realize that as well as curtailment of specific activities and businesses within a zone, this must also mean travel in and out of the zone be curtailed. While it is fine for PEI and NFLD to discourage travel to/from the NB zones which are now Orange, when the Red level is reached restriction of movement needs to be enforced. This is what Quebec is now doing, installing policed travel checkpoints at key locations.

Moreover, as the Atlantic Bubble is well aware, with the second wave upon us air travel also needs greater scrutiny, both international and domestic. The Atlantic Provinces recognize their main source of infection are travellers entering the bubble, mostly by air, thus, they still have a 14 day quarantine restriction in place even for domestic travellers. Maybe the better bet would be to restrict the source; could restrictions on flights from or travellers from "red" zones be in the cards. Of course this would also require Federal participation.

Ontario seems to be vacillating on nomenclature at present. They are not really sure whether to call Toronto, Ottawa and Peel "hot" or "red" zones. But restrictions are coming there too.

Surprisingly there does not seem to be much discussion on the use of Zones in Alberta and BC - for now.

Cheers

Cliff