The federal government will indeed go ahead with the vaccination obligation for truckers on Saturday, contrary to the “erroneous” information conveyed by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) on Wednesday evening.
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The rules announced last November will therefore come into force in two days, as planned. As of Saturday, Canadian truckers who are not adequately vaccinated will have to be screened on entry and on day 8 following their return to the country, while respecting the quarantine.
Organizations related to the trucking industry, including the Association du camionnage du Québec (ACQ), had received information to the contrary from the CBSA according to which Ottawa had granted a one week delay to give “oxygen”. to industry, hence the confusion.
Its CEO, Marc Cadieux, said he was “disappointed that the government has created confusion at a time when the industry is fragile”. “We didn’t need that,” he said.
In an interview, Mr. Cadieux said he had learned that the government was maintaining the policy through the media, and that no one in Ottawa had contacted the ACQ during the day to correct the situation.
A government source said the note sent had not been verified by the offices of the relevant ministries and might even have been sent in error.
The ministers of Health, Transport and Public Safety clarified the situation in a joint statement Thursday followingnoon. “Information shared yesterday [mercredi] were wrong. Our teams have contacted industry representatives to make sure they have the right information, ”they wrote.
The policy was announced on November 19. It would also prevent American truckers from entering the country.
Government and industry estimate that the rate of truckers who are not adequately vaccinated ranges between 10% and 15%.
Industry fears persist
This confusion created false hopes in the trucking and import-export industries, which would have liked to see this measure postponed.
According to Jean-Claude Fortin, CEO of the Canadian Trucking Association, this might have a significant impact on sectors of the economy, such as the supply of food.
“Of course there are a lot of senders and receivers who are starting to panic. Right now, the food industry is panicking. Of course, if we already have empty shelves, we may have a little more, ”said Mr. Fortin.
The CEO of Manufacturiers et Exportateurs du Québec, Véronique Proulx, is just as “worried”, “because this decision will inevitably weaken the supply chains already greatly disrupted by the pandemic”.