Cruises will continue to be prohibited from operating in Canadian waters until at least Oct. 31 due to the coronavirus pandemic, Canada’s transport minister said on Friday.
Minister Marc Garneau said the order covers cruise ships with accommodation and more than 100 passengers and crew. The measure extends and expands an order issued in mid-March that prohibited vessels with more than 500 passengers from sailing in Canadian waters until July.
Smaller ships will be allowed to operate after July 1, but only with the authorization of provincial and regional health authorities. However, vessels with more than 12 passengers will be banned from sailing into the Arctic until at least October 31, for fear that some might carry the virus to a remote northern community.
“Preserving the safety of Canadians and transportation workers remains my highest priority during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Garneau.
The minister said he understands that this will create significant economic difficulties for the tourism sector in Canada, noting that the federal tourism department is working on a plan to help.
Last year, 140 cruises brought more than 2 million visitors to the country’s ports. A 2016 study found that cruises contributed more than C $ 3 billion ($ 2.1 billion) to the Canadian economy, including nearly C $ 1.4 billion ($ 1.01 billion) in direct line costs. cruises and their passengers. More than 23,000 Canadians were employed directly or indirectly through cruise activity.
British Columbia, Quebec and the Atlantic coast provinces are the most benefited.
The province of Prince Edward Island will be among the areas that will be affected by the order, said Mike Cochrane, director general of the Port Authority of Charlottetown on the island.
“The human impact is dramatic, there is no doubt about it,” he said. “Seeing that everything stops … it is a very sad day for us,” he added.
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