Memo from Transport Canada / April 20th, 2020

Subject: Transport Canada - Interim Order to Prevent Certain Persons from Boarding Flights to Canada due to COVID-19, No

The Interim Order to Prevent Certain Persons from Boarding Flights to Canada due to COVID-19 issued by Transport Canada has been amended with the new guidelines to take effect on April 20, 2020, at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.

Non-medical masks or face coverings while travelling

Effective April 20, 2020 and until further notice, new measures require all air passengers to have a non-medical mask or face covering to cover their mouth and nose during travel.

When travelling by air, travellers will be asked to cover their mouth and nose in the following situations:

• at Canadian airport screening checkpoints, where the screeners cannot always keep two metres of separation between themselves and the traveller
• when they cannot physically distance from others, or as directed by the airline employees
• when directed to do so by a public health order or public health official

Aviation passengers on all flights departing or arriving at Canadian airports will also be required to demonstrate they have the necessary non-medical mask or face covering during the boarding process otherwise they will not be allowed to continue on their journey.

When travelling by marine modes of transportation, travellers are encouraged to wear non-medical masks or face coverings whenever possible. In addition, operators of ferries and essential passenger vessels will, when feasible:

• provide public messaging to travellers about the need to have a non-medical mask or face covering to cover their mouth and nose during their journey when they cannot maintain physical distance from others, and that passengers could be subject to denial of boarding should they fail to comply.

Passengers travelling by land (rail or motor carrier/bus modes) of transportation are also strongly encouraged to wear non-medical masks or face coverings as much as possible. Passengers may be asked by the transportation operator to cover their noses and mouths when physical distancing is not possible.

The Canada.ca website which contains the revised travel information is:

Government of Canada: Canada.ca website link:  https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/latest-travel-health-advice.html?topic=tilelink#domestic