Office of the Official Opposition
For Immediate Release

 
St. John’s, NL (April 21, 2020) – Today, Ches Crosbie, Leader of the PC Official Opposition and MHA for Windsor Lake, called upon the Liberal government to intervene to toughen up screening measures at airports in the province.

Under current Public Health Orders, anyone arriving to Newfoundland and Labrador from outside the province is required to self-isolate for 14 days after their arrival.

“Our Caucus continues to receive stories of travelers who are not screened or contacted in any way upon arrival. Just last week, we became aware of an entire flight, arriving from outside Newfoundland and Labrador, which the government was not even aware of!”

Crosbie noted this communication breakdown highlights a larger problem where at some land entry points there are Royal Newfoundland Constabulary officers, while at St. John’s International Airport there are Public Health Promotion staff that don’t carry the force of law.

“Currently, there is no requirement for passengers upon arrival to specifically engage with public health staff for screening,” noted Crosbie. "I am at a loss as to why the International Arrivals area is not being utilized to control arrivals and allow staff to process passengers in a systematic and consistent manner.”

“The government needs to ensure that screening measures are being enforced at all entry points in the province in a consistent manner. To ensure this happens, screening measures should be delivered by staff with equivalent authority and training, using the same process and information, at all entry points in the province. Right now, there are too many inconsistencies and there is not enough enforcement.”

“It has been over a month now since our first Public Health State of Emergency was declared and it is time for the government to get its act together,” stated Crosbie.
 

Contacts:

Bradley Russell

Director of Policy and Research

(p) 1.709.729.3668

BradleyRussell@gov.nl.ca

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