Canada’s designated COVID-19 quarantine facilities cost nearly $389M over 3 years: PHAC – National
The federal government spent nearly $389 million over three years on its designated COVID-19 quarantine facilities, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.
In a statement issued to Global News on Wednesday, a spokesman for Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada said a total of 38 sites were established as designated quarantine facilities between March 2020 and September 2022.
“DQFs and alternate locations were active in a total of 14 cities across Canada: Whitehorse, Vancouver, Kelowna, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, Fredericton, Halifax and St. John’s,” said Tammy Jarbeau , a spokesman for PHAC and Health Canada.
“A total of $388.7 million was spent on DQFs between April 2020 and December 2022.”
The designated quarantine facilities were agreements between the federal government and hotels under Section 7 of the Quarantine Act. They “provided travelers with a place to quarantine or isolate and helped contain the spread of COVID-19 in our communities,” Jarbeau said.
“The costs associated with this program included lodging, meals, security, travel assistance and transportation.”
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In fiscal year 2020-21, the government spent $158.5 on these facilities. The following fiscal year, those costs fell slightly to $153 million before falling again to $77.2 million in 2022-23.
The price tag attached to these quarantine facilities first made headlines this week after Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner reported on the existing contract for a designated quarantine facility in her hometown of Calgary.
The pricing information document was released by the government on Monday in response to a question on the order paper submitted by Rempel Garner last month. It revealed the government spent more than $26 million over three years to contract the Westin Calgary Airport Hotel, which was one of the designated quarantine facilities.
A total of 1,490 people were quarantined at the location between June 2020 and June 2022, according to a copy of the order paper question released to Global News by the Library of Parliament.
In 2020, 119 people stayed at the Westin Calgary Airport Hotel at a cost of $8.9 million, in 2021 1,356 people stayed at a cost of $11.1 million, and in 2022 15 people stayed at a cost of 6.8 million dollars million.
The Public Health Agency of Canada, in response to the question on the engagement paper, noted that because the data was collected manually, “it is possible that in determining the amount paid by the federal government to the Westin Calgary Airport Hotel, there is a small degree of human error. ”
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“I think that’s just something that I think is going to hit a lot of Canadians of all political persuasions at a time when we’re really struggling to make ends meet and we’re really concerned about the affordability of housing and Apartments talk,” Rempel Garner said in an interview with Global News on Tuesday.
Travelers have had to quarantine upon arrival in Canada for much of the pandemic.
Those unable to demonstrate an appropriate quarantine plan between February 21, 2021 and September 30, 2022 were required to self-quarantine at one of the designated quarantine facilities, which Health Canada has described as a “last resort for travelers.” ”
Canada finally lifted all of its travel-related quarantine requirements in October 2022.
Pressing the price tag attached to those hotel stays on Tuesday, Health Secretary Jean-Yves Duclos said the government’s “primary responsibility” is to “protect the safety and health of Canadians, including the tens of thousands of people who have had access.” designated quarantine facilities.”
“Because of these actions, plus vaccination, we have collectively saved tens of thousands of lives and tens of billions of dollars in economic costs,” he said.
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Still, during the years that the quarantine facilities have been operating, stories have surfaced of a range of housing issues during the pandemic.
In the weeks after the three-day quarantine rule was implemented, travelers reported long waits and difficulties booking accommodation before arriving in Canada. Health Canada also launched an investigation into allegations that two returnees were sexually assaulted during their mandatory quarantine period.
Quarantine facilities are no longer operational at this time, the spokesman for PHAC and Health Canada said, adding that the government was “in talks with hotels to confirm the end date of the agreements.”
Designated quarantine facilities were not the same as state-approved shelters. The federal government contracted the hotels, which became designated quarantine facilities, while there were no federal contracts for state-approved accommodations.
Rather, they were government-approved hotels where people could register for their isolation requirements upon arrival in the country.
– with files from Global News’ Amanda Connolly, Craig Momney and Jayme Doll
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
