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CALGARY – Canadians looking for sunny days and warm temperatures for the Christmas holidays are being offered a new opportunity by major Canadian airlines.
WestJet and Air Canada have signed an agreement with the state of Hawaii to allow guests traveling to the islands to bypass the mandatory 14-day quarantine.
To do this, airlines are offering pre-flight COVID-19 tests for all guests.
A negative test within 72 hours of departing for Hawaii will allow passengers to disembark the plane and enjoy their vacation without quarantine.
David Ige, the governor of Hawaii, says the state has the lowest COVID-19 case rate in the United States. He is also confident that WestJet and Air Canada are taking all appropriate precautions.
“This is a multi-layered approach to providing the health and safety of our residents as well as travelers,” he said at a live streamed news conference Thursday.
“This test travel program is a layer. We are the only state doing thermal screening.”
THE CANADA-US BORDER REMAINS CLOSED UNTIL DEC. 21
A border closure, intended to stop all non-essential travel at all land crossings along the Canada-US border, is expected to remain in effect until late next month, CTV News learned Wednesday.
The restriction – first imposed in March to limit the spread of COVID-19 – will expire on November 21, but sources say it will be extended.
With COVID-19 cases continuing to rise on both sides of the border, the decision to continue restricting travel is not surprising, as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and health authorities said over the course of the pandemic that until the diffusion will not be under control, border measures will be mitigated would pose a risk to citizens of both countries.
There is no ban on air travelers as long as they comply with all public health regulations in the state or province they land in, including self-isolation from others for a period of 14 days.
MORE THAN 220 DEAD OF COVID-19 IN HAWAII
According to the Hawaii Department of Health, the state has announced 71 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours as well as one death.
Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 16,734 cases and 223 deaths recorded in the state.
With files from Rachel Aiello of CTV News
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