A new poll suggests the vast majority of Canadians support tighter restrictions on international travel imposed by the federal government.
An online survey by Leger and the Association for Canadian Studies says 86 per cent of respondents agree with stricter new measures that suspend flights to most sun destinations and require passengers to quarantine at a hotel at their own expense upon arrival in Canada.
The poll also found 87 per cent of respondents think the government should go further by banning international travel until there are several consecutive days of reduced COVID-19 numbers.
Leger executive vice-president Christian Bourque says the wariness of foreign trips stems in part from variants of the virus emerging abroad as well as homegrown politicians jetting off to far-flung beaches during the holidays.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced last Friday that Canadian airlines have suspended flights to Mexico and the Caribbean until April 30 and that returning passengers will soon have to self-isolate at government-approved hotels for up to three days after taking P-C-R tests upon landing.
The push for tougher travel rules comes as Canadians find their mental health declining, with just 29 per cent of survey respondents rating it as very good or excellent, the lowest since the pandemic began.