A clear reason why the border must be closed NOW, and should have been closed long ago.
Since late January, I was calling for border restrictions:
“The Canadian government should be restricting incoming flights from China until the coronavirus is under control.”
https://twitter.com/SpencerFernando/status/1219677697787514881
“China is so desperate that they’re banning many people from leaving the country. So why hell is the Canadian government still not restricting flight? Insanity.”
https://twitter.com/SpencerFernando/status/1221854316492800001
“With Coronavirus Spreading, Canada Must Restrict Incoming Flights From China.”
https://twitter.com/SpencerFernando/status/1219681555116777472
It hasn’t happened. The borders are still open.
“January 21st. Called for flights from China to be restricted. Still hasn’t happened, and now it’s spread from China around the world and now here in Canada. What a disgrace. A pathetically weak response at every stage.”
https://twitter.com/SpencerFernando/status/1239389377878315008
And now, with Canada’s borders still open and the ‘enhanced screening’ having been revealed as a lie, a Canada Border Services Agency worker at Toronto Pearson Airport has tested positive for Coronavirus:
JUST IN: CBSA employee at Toronto Pearson tests positive for COVID-19 https://t.co/blTnofxxNZ
— CP24 (@CP24) March 16, 2020
Here’s an excerpt from the CP24 report:
“A Canada Border Services Agency officer at Toronto Pearson has tested positive for COVID-19, the agency says.
“We can assure you that the employee is in isolation at home and following direction from local health officials,” Ashley Lemire of the CBSA said in a statement to CP24.
Lemire said the location and time of infection are unknown at this time. She said the agency is proactively notifying all employees who have had contact with the individual.
“Employees who may have been in contact with the infected individual have been asked to self-monitor for symptoms and to contact public health for direction. These employees may also be instructed by public health to self-isolate and remain at home for the recommended period.”
CBSA is also taking steps to clean the location where the officer worked, Lemire said.”
As you can see, this is potentially disastrous. This employee could have been interacting with tons of people, especially as the airport has been packed with people entering the country.
Then, those people either get on new flights to travel into other parts of Canada, or get in taxis and trains to go home.
The result is a potential widespread vector of transmission, and it never would have happened if Canada’s borders have shut earlier.
By refusing to shut down Canada’s borders before Canada was put at risk, the federal government has insured that things will be far worse.
Spencer Fernando