The admission comes at a time when the federal government is facing mounting pressure from politicians and tourism groups to scrap the COVID-19 screening tool, arguing it is hampering tourism and creating headaches for some travelers. The ArriveCAN app certainly caused problems for Don and Karin Bennett of Burlington, Ont., after they returned to Canada on July 10 from a trip to Chicago. Don Bennett said there were no problems at the land border as they had duly filled out the application and are fully vaccinated – which exempts them from quarantine. However, six days later, Bennett said Karin discovered several emails in her junk mailbox from ArriveCAN with quarantine instructions. “She was confused,” she said. “It kind of came out of nowhere.” Don and Karin Bennett of Burlington, Ont., say they were not ordered to quarantine when they returned to Canada after a trip to Chicago. However, six days later, Karin discovered several emails in her spam box with quarantine instructions. (Submitted by Don Bennett) Bennett said while he thought the problem was a bug, Karin decided to start her quarantine, fearing the potential fine for travelers who break the rules. “There’s the threatening language of $5,000 fines, as well as potentially sending the police to your house,” he said. But Bennett said his wife has now decided to end her quarantine after hearing from CBC News that the government admitted to sending out incorrect quarantine information. #arrivecan —@Edu_Techy #arrivecan —@Edu_Techy The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) “identified a technical issue with the app that … could produce an incorrect alert instructing people to quarantine,” said Audrey Champoux, a spokeswoman for Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino, in an email. The problem appears to be linked to Apple devices and less than 3% of users have been affected, Champoux said, adding that the CBSA has identified a fix that will be fully implemented by the end of the week. He said travelers should rely on instructions they receive at the border if they conflict with subsequent 14-day quarantine notices.
Time to uninstall the app?
The government’s admission was in response to a CBC News investigation pointing to dozens of complaints on social media from travelers who say they entered Canada without problems and then received a surprise notice of mandatory quarantine. After his experience, Bennett said he believes the ArriveCAN app should be scrapped. “If the government is asking you to do something, make sure it works, because if it doesn’t, that’s a matter of trust.” WATCHES | Calls to Terminate Use of the ArriveCAN App:
Calls to Terminate Use of the ArriveCAN App
A Montreal couple ordered into quarantine for 14 days are among Canadians frustrated by the continued use of the ArriveCAN app. Some politicians say it’s time to ditch the app because it’s causing inconvenience to travelers. Canada has lifted most travel restrictions for fully vaccinated travelers. However, people entering the country are still required to enter their travel and vaccination information into the ArriveCAN app. Travelers who fail to do so could face a 14-day quarantine and even a $5,000 fine. Since the app was introduced in 2020, it has drawn complaints that it is unwieldy, has glitches and creates obstacles for those with technical issues. Consequently, as travel begins to revive, many people with stakes in the travel industry are calling on the government to end mandatory use of the app. “Why do we need it?” said Beth Potter, president and CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada. “Anything that complicates the travel process, the travel journey right now has a negative impact on people coming back to travel again.”
The federal government is responding
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) told CBC News that the pandemic is not over and that the ArriveCAN app is a necessary and effective tool to keep Canadians safe. The app “improves processing times at the border by reducing the time it takes border agents to interview travelers and enter their public health information manually,” PHAC spokeswoman Tammy Jarbeau said in an email. But the union representing CBSA officers argues that the application can lead to congestion because officers must spend time helping troubled travelers fill it out. “[Some] people didn’t know there was an app, some people just have a hard time filling it out. We’ve seen people who don’t have the technology to fill it out,” said Mark Weber, national president of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Association. Blanche and Valerian Lewis of Mississauga, Ont., say they were unable to complete the ArriveCAN application when they returned to Canada due to a technical issue. Three days later, he says, they received an email saying they were supposed to be in quarantine — even though the couple is fully vaccinated. (CBC) Blanche Lewis of Mississauga, Ont., said before she and her husband, Valerian, returned home from a road trip to Michigan on July 10, she tried to fill out the application several times, but due to some kind of technical problem, it just wasn’t working. Lewis said a border officer let the couple go with only a warning and made no mention of a 14-day quarantine. However, three days later, they received an email saying they were supposed to be in quarantine. Lewis said a PHAC enforcement officer also confirmed by phone that they must be isolated — even though the couple is fully vaccinated. “This is nothing but a nightmare for us,” Lewis said from her home, where she and her husband are now in quarantine. “We’re being punished for something that was… out of control.” It’s unclear if the Lewises were affected by the ArriveCAN app message bug, as PHAC declined to comment on their case.
