Quarantine Act 2005

The Quarantine Act, 2005, also known as the *Loi sur la mise en quarantaine*, is a Canadian law enacted to regulate quarantine measures aimed at preventing the introduction and spread of communicable diseases. Introduced following the 2002–04 SARS outbreak, it empowers the government to designate quarantine facilities, enforce health screenings at borders, issue emergency orders restricting entry or imports, and impose fines on those who disobey quarantine rules. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the act was invoked for two main purposes. First, it mandated the quarantine of Canadian travellers repatriated from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the outbreak. Second, on March 25, 2020, Health Minister Patty Hajdu activated the act to require all international travelers (excluding essential workers) entering Canada to self-isolate for 14 days. This measure prohibited symptomatic individuals from using public transit and barred self-isolation in settings where they might encounter vulnerable populations, such as those with pre-existing conditions or the elderly. By April 2020, the RCMP was tasked with enforcing the act, with penalties including fines of up to $750,000 and six months' imprisonment for violations. By May 20, police had conducted 2,198 home visits to ensure compliance. Enforcement involved the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) alerting Health Canada if a traveller was deemed non-compliant, leading to RCMP coordination with local forces. Only one individual in Richmond, British Columbia, faced a $1,000 fine for violations. The Trudeau government expanded the act by mandating that travellers without credible self-isolation plans be housed in designated facilities, such as hotels. Prime ...