Panel recommends end of COVID quarantine hotels

An expert panel recommends the government no longer require travellers arriving by air into Canada quarantine for up to three days at a hotel.

The call comes from a new report from experts assembled to provide advice on COVID-19 screening and testing measures.

While it says Canada should continue screening international travellers for more transmissible variants of the virus, it should discontinue its policy of making air travellers stay in "government-authorized accommodations."

The report says travel restrictions tailored to a specific country are likely to carry limited value because of the global nature of travel.

It says this is because travellers can get around restrictions and it's likely variants have already spread to other countries by the time measures are brought in.

The panel also calls for measures at land and air borders to be "consistent as much as possible."

"The panel does not recommend implementation of country-specific testing or quarantine requirements at this time, except under unique circumstances."

Asked earlier in the day about the mandatory hotel quarantine policy, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau didn't say when it may end, but that such measures would remain in place.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 27, 202