Jason Kenney, the former Immigration Minister of Canada has urged the Canadian government to find out safe solutions for opening its borders. He is also the premiere of the Canadian province of Alberta. He said that lifting travel restrictions was crucial for speeding up the economic recovery of Alberta.
Kenney urged the Canadian government to look into the strategies adopted by countries such as Iceland, Austria and New Zealand for re-opening their borders. Iceland offers COVID-19 tests to all incoming travellers and those who test negative are exempt from the mandatory two-week quarantine. Kenney fears that prolonging the travel restrictions would affect the economic interests of Canada.
The airline, hotel and tourism industries of Canada are also suggesting solutions on safely welcoming foreign travellers. At present, foreign travellers to Canada, including Canadian citizens and permanent residents, are required to undergo quarantine for two weeks. Canadian airline companies are of the view that this requirement is deterring foreigners from travelling to the country. In place of quarantine, they are suggesting measures such as mandatory mask-wearing, temperature checks and rapid testing to prevent the spread of COVID-19. It is expected that Canada would be making an announcement regarding the loosening of travel restrictions by the end of this month.
Jason Kenney is the longest-serving Immigration Minister of Canada, who held the position from 2008 to 2013. Under his reign, Canadian immigration underwent sweeping reforms and modernization. The groundwork for the launch of the path-breaking Express Entry system was started during his tenure. Kenney became the Premier of Alberta in 2019. His election campaign proposals included boosting the economic development of Alberta through the Provincial Nominee Program(PNP).
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