Mary Ellen Havlik, a humanitarian consultant in Nigeria, who recently returned to Canada told the Globe and Mail when she arrived at the Hilton hotel, she was met by people in hazmat suits, and the lobby was covered in plastic. She and the others were given a pamphlet that warned against taking photos or videos or identifying the location. “It was just dystopian.”
Across the board, Canadians returning home from Africa are reporting poor conditions in quarantine hotels.
On 30NOV, the federal government announced that Canadians stuck in African countries affected by the flight ban could be allowed back to Canada if they have a negative molecular test taken within two days of departure and leave on flights transiting through Frankfurt (FRA) on or before 13DEC.
Regardless of vaccination status, those travellers must quarantine at a facility while waiting for the result of an on-arrival test. However, travellers staying at federally managed hotels near airports are reporting wretched conditions during their stay, including no laundry service, no diapers, “unhealthy” food, and being kept at the facility even after receiving a negative test result.
Tiffany Gaura and her two daughters arrived at a hotel with hallways covered entirely in plastic after flying back to YYC from Egypt.
“We get very unhealthy meals dropped at our door, three times a day. There's a security guard outside the rooms. I mean, you can't go outside. There's no fresh air," she said.
Sarah Mossad, who flew back to YYZ from Egypt, reported that her room did not have heating and the only water that was available was from the “rusty” bathroom faucets.
"You're in this room with poor ventilation, not knowing when you're going to get basic needs like water and things like that."
Sara Sagaii was in Egypt when the flight ban came into effect, but managed to get a flight through Turkey to YVR. Upon arrival, she was greeted by people in hazmat suits and during her three-day stay, Sagaii said she was served a “basically rotten” salad and was unable to access clean laundry.
Lennard Skead, who returned to Toronto from South Africa, reported that he was not allowed to leave until the day after he received his negative COVID-19 test result. “Our negative results came out on Saturday, but we are not allowed to leave until the quarantine officer calls us and tells us you can leave now. Nobody called us. Nobody called us until Sunday,” said Skead.
Laura Ford, a spokesperson for Hilton Toronto Airport Hotel & Suites, a designated quarantine hotel, said a third party is running all of the hotel’s operations and services.
