Over 100 travellers to BC refuse to stay at Trudeau quarantine hotels

106 arrivals in British Columbia have refused to be quarantined at the Canadian government's quarantine hotels since they were set up by the Trudeau government, CTV News reports.

Each of the travellers were handed a fine of $3,000 for their refusal.

The policy, which was implemented in late February, was designed to mitigate the spread of coronavirus among the Canadian population, especially as variants of concern began to appear around the world.

Of over 175,000 international travellers to arrive in Canada since the policy was implemented, 1.3 percent tested positive for the virus upon arrival.

"The majority of these travellers that arrived by air were staying at a [government-approved] hotel when they tested positive and were then redirected to a designated quarantine facility or another suitable location to limit their interaction with other Canadians," said Public Health Agency of Canada spokeswoman Tammy Jarbeau.

"A person who causes a risk of imminent death or serious bodily harm to another person while willfully or recklessly contravening the act or the regulations, including submitting false information related to an individual's quarantine plan, could be liable for a fine of up to $1,000,000 or imprisonment of up to three years, or both," she continued.

The mandatory quarantine hotels have been heavily criticized by conservatives, who have questioned their efficacy in preventing the spread of the virus. Critics have also suggested that mandatory quarantine hotels constitutes arbitrary detention, and have raised concern about the quality of care within the facilities.

Such concerns have been amplified by multiple allegations of rape taking place in the hotels, as well as by visitors who have expressed frustration with low-quality food, lack of locks on doors, and the high cost of staying at the hotels, which the government demands travellers must cover themselves.

More controversy arose earlier this week after a man returning home from Pakistan claimed that he contracted coronavirus during his stay at a quarantine hotel, and later spread it unwittingly to his entire family.