Crown prosecutors in Ontario have entered a stay of proceedings against a woman who was fined $6,225 for not staying in a COVID-19 quarantine hotel after returning to Canada. According to a news release from the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF), the woman was fined on August 3, 2021, after returning from a visit to New York.
The JCCF stated that the woman suffers from chronic pain syndrome and requires a wheelchair and assistance from friends or family for personal care. Her chronic pain had worsened during her trip and upon return, so she needed help with day-to-day tasks.
The woman had made arrangements to quarantine in a separate area of her home with assistance from her mother, rather than staying in a government-designated quarantine hotel. Her traveler intake form indicated that she had established a suitable alternative quarantine plan, believing it to be the safest option.
However, she received a ticket and was fined for not staying in a government-designated quarantine hotel. Her lawyer argued that she should have qualified for a medical exemption under the Order in Council at the time, and therefore, the ticket should be dropped. Additionally, the lawyer pointed out that there was an unreasonable delay of 25 months between the issuing of the ticket and the trial date, which violated the right to be tried within a reasonable time outlined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
The Crown prosecutors entered a stay of proceedings in this case, but the president of the JCCF emphasized that it does not undo the damage caused by the federal quarantine system. He criticized the policy as “dangerous and utterly unscientific,” arguing that it leads to more contact and interactions among people.
According to documents obtained by Blacklock’s Reporter, the quarantine hotel system in Ottawa cost nearly $339 million, and the final accounting is still pending. The expenses per traveler housed for 72 hours amounted to around $17,000, which covered lodging, meals, security, and traveler support and transportation.
The quarantine requirements, in effect from March 2020 to September 2022, were meant for individuals who lacked a safe place to complete their 14-day quarantine after traveling to Canada from abroad. Across the country, 38 hotels were designated as quarantine centers, accommodating over 22,000 travelers.
The quarantine hotel program received criticism from the federal auditor general, who deemed it an expensive failure. The auditor general expressed concerns about the effectiveness of these border measures and the inability of the Public Health Agency to provide evidence of their efficacy.