All Points provides employee relocation services and destination services to Canada for many Canadian corporations and we want to keep our clients up to date on the government quarantine program, because it seems that the government cannot do an adequate job on its own. No worry. We are here to help!
Count to three…and don’t leave the airport without the third!
Let’s count them. There are three total COVID tests that need to be taken for anyone arriving into Canada: i) the test 72 hours before you step on the plane; ii) the test at the airport before you go to your quarantine hotel and…iii) the test you take with you to your quarantine to take on day 11 of your quarantine. Yes. This last one is just as crucial/mandatory as the first two tests. All are crucial. However, the lovely attendants at the airport can…forget to give you the third test to take with you. As a result, you should REMIND all of your transferees to ask for this test. Why? You can’t leave quarantine without it and getting the test after you leave the airport is not easy. Just don’t leave without the test.
Couriers aren’t helping Corporate Relocation Services
A courier will be sent to your temporary accommodation to pick-up your test. You call the number on the kit, and say, “I have taken my quarantine COVID test, can you please come and pick it up,” and they will do so.
But…if you call on a Friday or even late on a Thursday, well… the courier doesn’t come on weekends.
Why does this matter?
Well, we have been religiously booking SI# appointments and bank appointments for day 15 after the quarantine. That luxury is no longer available to us. The test result, because of the lack of courier on the weekends, may come in at day 16 or day 17 of the quarantine. Many of our clients, are eager to get their employees on payroll and paid, but with this unknown delay, we book SI# appointments and bank appointments further along, whether this delay is required or not, if we know that the Day 11 test is on a Thursday or a Friday.
But, there is a conflict.
As reported previously, the government’s own immigration law requires: “Subparagraph R209.2(1)(a)(vii) employers to provide the wages as set out in the offer of employment during any period of self-isolation or quarantine upon entry to Canada as required by an order made under section 58 of the Quarantine Act.” Well, that is pretty hard to do if you can’t put that employee on payroll or have a bank account to pay into.
We said it was messy.
What happens if you get a positive test?
According to the government quarantine program, you must stay in quarantine 14 days from the date the test was administered.
On the bright side.
Because of the addition of a number of hotels and improved booking options transferees can book their hotels more than 3 days in advance, which was not possible when the program started. We have had one employee book their hotel 7 days in advance.
We try to keep up with actions on the ground.
Our clients who expect us to continue to provide up-to-date employee relocation services, rely on us to update them. We know our government is not updating people about the realities on the ground, so we are doing our best to keep our clients up to date. A lot of this information can only be determined from first-hand repeated experiences. Stay here for future developments.
