From: brewnoser2@gmail.com   
      
   . . . . And that's the kind of bullshit decision that keeps us from getting   
   our covid infection numbers down - while mandating that small businesses,   
   which can easily provide safe shopping, shut their doors.   
      
   And if 'athletes' are so necessary for our survival, then just imagine what is   
   included in the other 'national interest exemptions' that have been allowed   
   across our border.   
      
   I think we can guess why our covid spike is happening. And the federal   
   government has the power to enforce the entry of anyone into Canada. Seal the   
   damned border - not punch holes in it !   
   ___________________________________   
   The Canadian Press Nov 25 2020   
      
   Professional athletes the main beneficiary of national interest exemptions at   
   border   
      
   OTTAWA — Four national interest exemptions to COVID-19 border restrictions,   
   covering 1,300 professional athletes, have been issued by the federal   
   immigration minister, his office confirmed Wednesday.   
      
   The details came after MPs at the House of Commons immigration committee were   
   told by departmental officials that 1,300 national interest exemptions had   
   been issued.   
      
   Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino's office was forced to clarify late   
   Wednesday the details of the national interest exemptions he's authorized   
   after the number surfaced at a House of Commons immigration committee hearing   
   earlier in the day.   
      
   Mendicino was grilled on how many people had been allowed into Canada using   
   the exemption, which admits those who don't qualify under current COVID-19   
   related restrictions, or to skip the mandatory 14 day quarantine when they   
   arrive.   
      
   Who has access to that program has been a source of public debate, especially   
   throughout the summer and fall as thousands of families placed sustained   
   public pressure on Mendicino to loosen the border restrictions to allow more   
   families to reunite.   
      
   Several ministers and senior public health officials can authorize exemptions.   
      
   When asked Wednesday by Conservative MP Raquel Dancho how many exemptions he   
   had authorized, Mendicino deferred to his departmental officials, who told the   
   committee 1,300 were granted.   
      
   His office later said the official "misspoke" and the figure reflects the   
   1,354 people covered by four national interest exemptions Mendicino approved:   
   two for the National Hockey League (one for players, the second for team   
   officials,) one for pre-   
   season training for Major League Baseball, and one for Major League Soccer.   
      
   They were all exempt from quarantine because their leagues had COVID-19   
   mitigation plans cleared by public health.   
      
   How the exemptions have been used is one of several issues being raised as MPs   
   examine the effects the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the immigration system.   
      
   The initial border closure rules meant that only essential workers and a very   
   limited list of family members of citizens of permanent residents could enter   
   Canada.   
      
   Families members not covered by those exemptions, including adult children,   
   common-law spouses, grandparents and siblings became increasingly vocal about   
   being shut out, noting there wasn't enough freedom given even for   
   compassionate cases, such as    
   family members being near death.   
      
   Mendicino relented in October, launched a new program to facilitate entry for   
   more family members, and a compassionate program, and later pledged   
   applications would be decided upon 14 days.   
      
   Opposition MPs pressed him Wednesday on that commitment, with both the NDP and   
   Conservatives saying they were aware of many people who were not receiving   
   decisions by that deadline, nor any guidance from the department on when they   
   might.   
      
   Mendicino promised to review specific cases.   
      
   His office said later that out of 29,000 requests, 19,000 have been decided   
   upon so far. About 80 per cent have been completed within the promised 14   
   days, with the remainder applications that are incomplete or have other issues.   
      
   Processing time is currently around 11 days, and an additional team of 30   
   staff were added to the program last week.   
   ________________   
      
   It isn't 'processing time' that should be of concern here. It's why the border   
   is being made more porous rather than being tightened as our covid numbers   
   soar.  If provinces are shutting their borders to inter-provincial travelers,   
   our federal government    
   should bloody well be doing it for our national borders - especially from the   
   U.S.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)