As of Monday, most passengers entering Canada will be required to comply with new travel policies, including expensive hotel quarantine.

The new regulations have got off to a bumpy start, with complaints from some travelers that they can’t get through on the government phone line to book their hotel or find out if they’re exempt from the rules.

Find the latest information here, including hotel quarantine costs.

How do I book a room?

Most airline passengers are required to take a COVID-19 test upon landing in Canada and spend up to three days of their 14-day quarantine period in a specific hotel waiting for their test results.

Passengers must pre-book their hotel stay prior to arriving in Canada.

On Friday the federal government posted a list online from approved quarantine hotels. Eighteen are currently listed.

There is no way to book online, so travelers must call a special phone line to reserve a room.

Shortly after the phone line started, complaints from travelers surfaced on social media that their calls kept getting disconnected after long waits.

I think the same! At first the recording said it was three hours of waiting, now I can’t even get on hold, which keeps separating me. WHY CAN’T WE BOOK ONLINE ??? #quarantinehotelfail

– –@ DianeAkam

At a press conference on Friday, the government said it had raised the phone problem.

However, CBC News heard from several travelers over the weekend who said they still couldn’t call to book a room.

“The music on hold, which is played for about three, three and a half hours, suddenly stops and the call is dropped,” Vineeth Nair said on Sunday after trying unsuccessfully to book his room since Friday.

Nair, a permanent Canadian resident who lives in New York, will be flying to Toronto on Thursday for a work transfer. But he said he was concerned that he wouldn’t be able to reserve his hotel in time.

“It’s a state of confusion right now. I’m moving countries first, so it’s not easy for me

Vineeth Nair and his wife Mahekk Nair will be flying from New York to Toronto on Thursday, but so far he has not been able to book their stay at a quarantine hotel in Toronto. (Submitted by Vineeth Nair)

Once they get on the phone line, passengers must reserve a room for three nights – even if they only have to stay until they get their test results.

Travelers who test negative can leave immediately and end the remainder of their 14-day quarantine at home. Those who need a connecting domestic flight can book it at this point and fly home.

Individuals who test positive must end their quarantine in a designated government facility.

The Canadian Public Health Authority (PHAC) said it was at the hotel’s discretion whether or not to get a discount to people who are allowed to check out early.

“Travelers should be willing to pay for a three-night stay,” PHAC spokesman Tammy Jarbeau said in an email.

Hotel stay could be a lot cheaper than $ 2,000

When Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the new hotel quarantine rules on Jan. 29, he said the cost of the three-day hotel stay “is expected to be more than $ 2,000”.

However, it turns out that the total, including meals and transportation, can be much less depending on where you stay as prices vary widely.

The Acclaim Hotel in Calgary will charge $ 611 including tax for the three nights, a representative said.

This is a significant price difference from the hotel at Westin Wall Center Vancouver Airport, which charges $ 1,827 including tax, according to a representative.

CLOCK | Questions are swirling about COVID-19 quarantine hotels:

The federal government has published the list of hotels intended for the monitored quarantine. The new rules for people returning from non-essential travel will go into effect next week. But what counts as essential travel and what happens to those who can’t pay the bill? 2:06

A traveler who flew to Toronto and didn’t want her name published showed CBC News her quarantine hotel booking confirmation at the Four Points by Sheraton. It was $ 1,089.41 including tax.

At a press conference on Friday, Health Minister Patty Hajdu said the final price was a matter for the individual hotel.

“The hotels do the billing directly, and different hotels have different prices.”

PHAC said the government will not currently charge travelers for their COVID-19 test upon arrival.

I will be set free

CBC News has received dozens of inquiries from people who have traveled abroad for discretionary reasons – for school or professional reasons, for example – and want to know whether they will be exempt from hotel quarantine on their return.

Alexis Pearman of Mississauga, Ontario will be flying home on March 10th after completing a Masters in Physiotherapy from Glasgow Caledonian University in Scotland.

Pearman said she has contacted numerous government departments but has not yet confirmed whether she and her Canadian classmates will be exempted from hotel quarantine.

“As the days go by, it gets more daunting and frustrating not having an answer and then … figuring out how we’re going to pay for this quarantine,” she said.

Alexis Pearman from Mississauga, Ontario, who is just finishing graduate school in Scotland, hopes to be exempt from hotel quarantine on his return to Canada. (Submitted by Alexis Pearman)

When CBC News asked PHAC for specific details on exemptions, it did sent a link to a new government information page.

According to the website, people who have already been exempted from the 14-day quarantine, such as B. important employees, cross-border commuters and people who receive medical treatment are also excluded from hotel quarantine.

Unaccompanied minors are excluded, as are people with compassionate cases, such as B. Those attending a funeral when they do so Government pre-approval.

In general, travelers who need to be quarantined – including students returning home from abroad – need to book a room at a quarantined hotel. This includes people who have already received the COVID-19 vaccine currently not excluded.

“Our government has made it very clear that very few exceptions are being made and they are really connected to important travelers,” Hajdu said Friday.

What if I don’t comply?

Travelers who fail to adhere to the hotel’s quarantine rules may be subject to a range of enforcement measures under the law Quarantine Act“Said PHAC spokesman Jarbeau.

She added that the maximum sentences include a fine of up to $ 750,000 and / or six months in prison.