The CBSA Just Explained Why Millions Were Able To Enter Canada During The Pandemic

While Canada’s borders remain closed to all non-essential travel right now, millions of people have still entered the country since the start of the pandemic.

In an interview with CBC News, the vice-president of the COVID-19 Border Task Force at the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) broke it down.

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Over 7 million Travellers have arrived in Canada since late March

"It's been quite staggering," Denis Vinette explained, describing the new border controls as a “challenge” for the CBSA. 

The vice president confirmed that more than seven million Canadians and international visitors have come into Canada by land or air since late March, a number that includes multiple entries by the same person.

The most common group of people crossing is truck drivers, explained Vinette, because they are exempt from the country’s 14-day quarantine rule.

Those who reside in border towns or work on the opposite side of the border cross often, too and are also exempt from quarantine.

However, there’s still a significant number of people coming and going that are travelling for leisure purposes, including many returning Canadians who have gone abroad.

The government continues to advise locals to avoid travelling outside of the country, but will not stop them from leaving then returning.

While thousands of foreign residents have attempted to enter for non-essential reasons, like sight-seeing and shopping, over 28,612 have been stopped at the border since March.

Around 4,000 of these were in the last two months alone.

The CBSA says the majority of these people were Americans.