Ontario’s premier said he greatly supports the federal government’s decision to further extend the closure at the Canada-U.S. border.
Prime minister Justin Trudeau suggested on Tuesday that border restrictions will remain in place for the foreseeable future and until COVID-19 is under control around the globe.
“I am in full support of keeping that border closed to the best of our ability outside of the retail and businesses flow going back and forth, goods and services,” the premier said at Queen’s Park.
Ford also said that his government is actively working with the feds at Toronto Pearson airport to reduce the down time for travellers that have to quarantine for 14 days upon their return.
“We want to knock that down, similar to what they’re doing out in Alberta,” Ford said.
“They’re doing a trial, we’re doing a trial. I was asking about that this [Wednesday] morning…if you could land, you can get tested right away and then you get tested again and they both come out [as] negative tests, you should be able to go on your way.”
Ford said that the feds need to be urging health officials at Pearson to take people’s temperatures at the airport.
“There are certain people that need to quarantine, I am sure that a lot do, but I am sure there’s a lot of people that don’t quarantine either, I can almost guarantee it.”
This isn’t the first time the premier has floated the idea and pushed for COVID-19 testing at Pearson airport.
In late Oct., Ford said he’s constantly searching for new, innovative ways to curve and treat COVID-19 across Ontario, pointing to what Calgary has introduced at their major airport.
He followed up those remarks by mentioning it again in early Nov. saying that he wants to “get people tested as soon as they’re coming off planes.”
The COVID-19 testing option is currently being offered at the Coutts land border crossing in southern Alberta and at the Calgary International Airport.