The government’s ban on air travel into Canada by foreign nationals amid the COVID-19 pandemic will last until at least the end of June.
At the same time, the government continues to face questions about how long they expect Canadians will need to stay indoors and isolate.
That follows a report by the National Post that one official “best case scenario” forecast predicts the measures to last until July.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has repeatedly been asked by journalists to share some of the modelling the government is doing that could give Canadians an idea of how long the situation could last.
He has not yet done so.
“We look at all kinds of different scenarios. It might last longer, it might last less time,” he said on Wednesday.
“All of this will depend on the choices and actions of Canadians.”
But he added: “People have to expect we will be in this situation for many weeks, if not months.”
The air travel ban was announced roughly two weeks ago and barred foreign nationals from countries other than the U.S. from entering Canada.
A border shutdown with the U.S. came shortly after but that includes an exemption for people including diplomats and essential workers like truck drivers, temporary foreign workers and health care professionals.
While the U.S. border shut down came with a 30-day timeline, the time frame on the ban on air travel into Canada by foreign nationals was less clear.
A government regulation enacting the air travel ban on foreign nationals was posted late last week provided that information, setting the ban in place until June 30.
At the same time, the government will continue to allow Canadians to return home from abroad.
Public health officials around the world are grappling with the spread of the new coronavirus.
It has infected 874,081 people worldwide so far and killed 43,291.
There are 9,017 confirmed cases in Canada and 105 deaths.
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