This Sunday is Easter, which in Canada means a three-day weekend since Good Friday is an official government holiday.
But if you’re a Canadian who is thinking about getting away and visiting family or friends across the border in the U.S. — or any other country for that matter — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau really, really does not want you to dare set foot outside the country.
And he’s wants everyone to know how earnest he is about it.
In a series of tweets Monday evening, the head of our neighbors to the north’s government urged his subjects to “cancel” any travel plans for the weekend. Instead, he instructed that his people should find other ways to connect with loved ones — perhaps virtually will do for Canucks … for the second Easter in a row.
And for Canadians who dare to go against Trudeau’s pleadings, the prime minister reminded them that they will be subject to unpleasant and harsh rules upon their return to the Fatherland.
“Now is not the time to travel. If you have plans to head somewhere for the long weekend, cancel them,” Trudeau began in his Twitter thread. “There are other, safer ways for you to connect with your family and friends. For those who need to travel, take note of the measures that are in place when you return to Canada.”
The travel rules, Narcity reported, were instituted in January and include all sorts of hurdles for citizens seeking to return to their homes after traveling.
Naturally, Trudeau was more than happy to remind the plebeians of the government edicts.
First, the PM said, “If you’re flying back into the country, you’ll need to show a negative PCR test result before you board the plane. When you land, you’ll need to take another PCR test.”
And don’t forget, commoners who dare act like autonomous beings, the tests don’t come back immediately, so you will “then have to wait at an approved hotel, and at your own expense, for your results to come back” (emphasis added).
Should those tests come back negative, the tested Canadians will be permitted “to head home” and wrap up their mandatory 14-day quarantine.
If the test results are positive, that’s really bad news, Trudeau warned: “If your test results come back positive, you’ll need to immediately quarantine in designated government facilities. This is not optional.”
Just how serious is the two-week mandatory quarantine? Super serious.
Anyone who fails to quarantine for the prescribed 14 days is subject to jail time or fines, according to the government’s health department.
If any Canadian thought he could get around Trudeau’s travel commands by simply driving over the border, he should think again. Not only will land-travelers have to show a negative test before re-entering, they’ll have to have another test when then enter, then go into mandatory quarantine, and then have another negative test before leaving quarantine.
“If you’re returning through our land border, you’ll need to show a negative PCR test result that was taken within the past 72 hours,” Trudeau scolded. “On top of that, you’ll have to take a PCR test when you arrive — and you’ll have to take another one toward the end of your 14-day quarantine.”
Don’t like it? Too bad.
The Great White North is doing all this to keep people safe, dontcha know.
“These border measures are some of the strongest in the world — and they’re in place to keep you, your loved ones, and your community safe,” the loving prime minister said.
