![]() Australia handles its electronic travel authorizations exclusively via app, while an online authorization form will be required to visit the European Union starting next year.Ĭanadian officials haven't gone so far as to say that they're planning something similar. 5 Things to Know newsletter: Sign up to start your day with the biggest storiesĪre apps the way of the future for air travel?Įlectronic data collection related to COVID-19 has been mandatory at many international borders, and online forms are increasingly being used for non-pandemic reasons.That's 40 seconds off the average two-minute visit, which the government estimates could "save hours in wait time" if everyone used it. In a statement earlier this month that focused on Canada's broader air travel fiasco, Transport Canada said those who use the forms cut their time at kiosks down by a third. Last week the government said it planned to expand that optional feature to air arrivals in Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Quebec City, Halifax and the Billy Bishop Toronto City airport. At air border crossings, it is now possible, though optional, to use the app to fill out a customs declaration form before arrival at Toronto's Pearson airport, Vancouver or Montreal. Recent government updates to do with the app have focused on efficiencies rather than on public health measures. Bianca Wylie, a partner at Digital Public, questioned why the app would be automating those decisions in the first place, rather than sticking to the information-collection mandate it was launched with. Last month, due to a glitch, ArriveCan instructed about 10,200 travellers to quarantine for 14 days when they didn't have to. But poor data quality still meant that almost 138,000 COVID-19 test results couldn't be matched to incoming travellers, and only 25 per cent of travellers told to quarantine in government-authorized hotels were verified to have stayed in them. COVID-19 Brief newsletter: Sign up for an informed guide on the pandemicĪ December 2021 report from the federal auditor general said the ArriveCan app improved the quality of information the government collected on travellers.Has the app done what it was supposed to do? Refusing to use the app to provide required information can result in a fine of up to $5,000 under the Quarantine Act. The app was introduced early in the pandemic and its use has been mandatory at air and land borders since February 2021 with exceptions in cases of accessibility issues or outages.ĪrriveCan ostensibly screens incoming travellers for COVID-19 and for the last year tracked their vaccination status. Here's a quick lowdown on what we currently know about it. ![]() Critics say it has outlived its use, if it ever had one. The government insists it's a useful tool. The glitch-prone app touted as an efficient border tool early in the pandemic has become a punching bag for critics who question its utility - but ArriveCan may be here to stay.
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