Ontario asks for stronger border enforcement again, says variants are threatening reopening plan

Ontario is again asking the federal government to strengthen border enforcement, saying more infectious COVID-19 variants are threatening the province’s reopening plan.

In a letter to their federal counterparts, Health Minister Christine Elliott and Solicitor General Sylvia Jones outlined the province’s concerns about the risks of international travel during the third wave of the pandemic.

They called for a federal requirement that fully vaccinated international travellers present proof of immunization and take a COVID-19 test on arrival.

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For international travellers who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 a stronger quarantine regime should be in place, they wrote.

“Ontario is committed to working with you to do whatever it takes to protect Canadians from the variant pandemic and future variants,” the ministers wrote.

“We urge you to heed these concerns and act now to finally secure our borders.”