Ontario Is Putting Checkpoints Along Its Borders To Restrict Interprovincial Travel
On Friday, Premier Doug Ford announced new measures to fight surging cases and hospitalizations in Ontario, including restrictions on interprovincial travel.
New restrictions will limit ground travel between Ontario, Manitoba and Quebec, with exceptions for essential work, medical care or transportation of goods.
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Beginning on Monday, April 19, travellers moving between provinces will have to go through a checkpoint, says Ford.
"Should an individual not have a valid reason to enter Ontario, they will be turned back," said Solicitor General Sylvia Jones.
These new measures will come into effect alongside an extended stay-at-home order, further limited capacities for big-box stores, a pause on all non-essential construction and more.
Ford calling for stricter restrictions on international travel
In addition to restricting interprovincial travel, Ford said he's also "calling on the federal government to immediately tighten up our international borders.”
"We need to do more to stop other, even deadlier variants, from getting into Canada and causing more havoc," he said.
"That means limiting air travel, tightening up our U.S. border and addressing the countless issues we’re seeing with testing and quarantining when people fly into our country."
According to the premier, international travel coming through Pearson Airport is furthering variant spread and "causing this inferno."