Quarantine Act (S.C. 2005, c. 20)

Marginal note:Person at an entry or departure point

• 20 (1) A quarantine officer may require any person at an entry or departure point to undergo a health assessment if the quarantine officer has reasonable grounds to suspect that the person has recently been in close proximity to a person who has or might have a communicable disease or who is infested with vectors.

• Marginal note:When health assessment to be undertaken

  (1.1) The health assessment shall be undertaken as soon as reasonably practicable but in any case within 48 hours after the quarantine officer requires the traveller to undergo it.

• Person is a traveller

  (2) For the purposes of sections 21 to 33.1, traveller includes any person required to undergo a health assessment under subsection (1).

Marginal note:Disinfestation of traveller, etc.

• 21 (1) A quarantine officer may require a traveller, their clothing and their personal belongings to be disinfested if, after a health assessment of the traveller, the quarantine officer has reasonable grounds to believe that the traveller is infested with vectors.

• Marginal note:Disinfestation of baggage

  (2) A quarantine officer or a person acting on their behalf may detain and disinfest any baggage if the quarantine officer has reasonable grounds to believe that the baggage is infested with vectors.

• Marginal note:Disinfestation of place

  (3) A quarantine officer or a person acting on their behalf may enter and disinfest any place at an entry or departure point if a traveller or baggage that was or may be disinfested under subsection (1) or (2) has been in or at that place and the quarantine officer has reasonable grounds to believe that the place is infested with vectors.

Marginal note:Medical examination

• 22 (1) If a quarantine officer has reasonable grounds to believe that a traveller has or might have a communicable disease or is infested with vectors, or has recently been in close proximity to a person who has or might have a communicable disease or is infested with vectors, the officer may require the traveller to undergo a medical examination.

• Marginal note:Timing of examination

  (2) The medical examination shall be conducted by a medical practitioner and undertaken as soon as reasonably practicable but in any case within 48 hours after the quarantine officer requires the traveller to undergo it.

Marginal note:Request of specific medical practitioner

• 23 (1) At any time, a traveller may request an examination by a medical practitioner of their choice in addition to a medical examination conducted under subsection 22(1). The quarantine officer shall inform the traveller of this right.

• Marginal note:Granting of request

  (2) The quarantine officer shall accept the request if, in the opinion of the officer, the examination would not unduly delay any measures taken in the administration of this Act.

• Marginal note:Cost and location of examination

  (3) The examination shall be at the traveller’s expense and shall be conducted in the place where the traveller is detained.

Marginal note:Interpreter

24 The Minister shall, if reasonably possible, provide a traveller with an interpreter if the traveller does not have an adequate understanding of at least one of Canada’s official languages or has a speech or hearing disability.

Marginal note:Report to public health authority

• 25 (1) If a quarantine officer, after the health assessment or medical examination of a traveller, has reasonable grounds to suspect that the traveller has or might have a communicable disease, or has recently been in close proximity to a person who has or might have a communicable disease or is infested with vectors, but is of the opinion that the traveller does not pose an immediate risk of significant harm to public health, the officer may order the traveller to report to the public health authority specified in the order.

• Marginal note:Public health authority to be informed

  (2) The quarantine officer shall, without delay, send a copy of an order made under subsection (1) to the public health authority specified in the order.

• Marginal note:Quarantine officer to be informed

  (3) The public health authority shall inform the quarantine officer, in accordance with the order, whether the traveller reports to the authority.

Marginal note:Order to comply with treatment or measure

26 If a quarantine officer, after the medical examination of a traveller, has reasonable grounds to believe that the traveller has or might have a communicable disease or is infested with vectors, or has recently been in close proximity to a person who has or might have a communicable disease or is infested with vectors, the quarantine officer may order the traveller to comply with treatment or any other measure for preventing the introduction and spread of the communicable disease.

Marginal note:Arrest warrant

27 On an ex parte application by a quarantine officer, a provincial court judge within the meaning of section 2 of the Criminal Code who is satisfied on information submitted in writing and under oath that a traveller has failed to comply with an order made under subsection 25(1) or section 26 may issue a warrant directing a peace officer to arrest the traveller and take them to a quarantine officer.

Marginal note:Detention by quarantine officer

• 28 (1) A quarantine officer may detain any traveller who

  • (a) has refused to be disinfested or to undergo a health assessment;

  • (b) has been required to undergo a medical examination under subsection 22(1);

  • (c) has failed to comply with an order made under section 26;

  • (d) the quarantine officer has reasonable grounds to believe

    • (i) has or might have a communicable disease or is infested with vectors, or has recently been in close proximity to a person who has or might have a communicable disease or is infested with vectors, and

    • (ii) is capable of infecting other people;

  • (e) has been arrested under section 27; or

  • (f) has been arrested without a warrant under section 18.

• Marginal note:Arrest without warrant

  (2) A peace officer may, at the request of a quarantine officer, arrest without a warrant and bring to the quarantine officer any traveller referred to in subsection (1) who resists detention.

Marginal note:Right to review

• 29 (1) The quarantine officer shall immediately inform a traveller detained under subsection 28(1) of their right to a review of the confirmation of detention.

• Marginal note:Frequency of examination

  (2) The quarantine officer shall provide the traveller with the opportunity to undergo a medical examination by a medical practitioner at least every seven days after the day on which the detention begins.

• Marginal note:Confirmation of detention

  (3) A quarantine officer shall confirm, at least every seven days after the day on which the detention begins and on the basis of the most recent medical examination or any other information, that continued detention is necessary if the officer has reasonable grounds to believe that the traveller poses a risk of significant harm to public health. The quarantine officer shall give the traveller a copy of the confirmation of detention detailing the reasons for the continued detention.

• Marginal note:Request for review

  (4) A traveller who has received a confirmation of detention under subsection (3) may request a review of the confirmation by transmitting a written request to that effect to a quarantine officer.

• Marginal note:Request

  (5) A quarantine officer who receives a request under subsection (4) shall immediately send it to a review officer designated under subsection 5(3).

• Marginal note:Release

  (6) The review officer shall, within 48 hours after receiving the request, conduct a review of the confirmation of detention and, if the review officer has reasonable grounds to believe that the traveller does not pose a risk of significant harm to public health, order the traveller’s release.

Marginal note:Review by Minister

30 The Minister may, on the Minister’s own motion, review any decision of a quarantine officer to detain a traveller and, if the Minister is of the opinion that the traveller does not pose a risk of significant harm to public health, order the traveller’s release.

Marginal note:Mandatory application for court order

• 31 (1) If a quarantine officer detains a traveller referred to in paragraph 28(1)(a), (c), (e) or (f), or a traveller referred to in paragraph 28(1)(b) who has refused to undergo the medical examination, the quarantine officer shall, as soon as reasonably practicable, apply to a judge of the superior court of the province in which the traveller is detained, or to a judge of the Federal Court, for an order requiring the traveller

  • (a) to submit to a health assessment;

  • (b) to submit to a medical examination;

  • (c) to be treated;

  • (d) to be disinfested; or

  • (e) to undergo any other measure for preventing or controlling the spread of a communicable disease.

• Marginal note:Discretionary application for court order

  (2) If a quarantine officer detains a traveller referred to in paragraph 28(1)(b) who has not refused to undergo the medical examination, or a traveller referred to in paragraph 28(1)(d), the quarantine officer may apply to a judge of the superior court of the province in which the traveller is detained, or to a judge of the Federal Court, for an order referred to in any of paragraphs (1)(b) to (e).

• Marginal note:Court order for medical intervention

  (3) A judge may make an order under this section only if the judge is satisfied that

  • (a) the order is appropriate to prevent or control a risk of significant harm to public health; and

  • (b) other reasonable means are not available to prevent or control the risk.

• Marginal note:Technological means for appearance

  (4) The traveller may appear before the court by any technological means satisfactory to the court that permits the court and the traveller to communicate simultaneously if the court is satisfied that the use of the technology is necessary or prudent to prevent the spread of a communicable disease.

Marginal note:Release

32 A quarantine officer shall not detain a traveller if

• (a) the quarantine officer has reasonable grounds to believe that the traveller does not pose a risk of significant harm to public health;

• (b) the traveller is transferred to a public health authority under section 33;

• (c) the release of the traveller is ordered under subsection 29(6) or section 30; or

• (d) the quarantine officer has reasonable grounds to believe that other reasonable means are available to prevent or control a risk of significant harm to public health.

Marginal note:Transfer to public health authority

33 A quarantine officer may at any time transfer a traveller detained by the quarantine officer under subsection 28(1) to a public health authority with the agreement of the authority or the province.

Marginal note:Notice to provincial public health authority

• 33.1 (1) As soon as practicable, a quarantine officer shall inform the provincial public health authority of any province concerned if

  • (a) the quarantine officer has required a traveller to undergo a medical examination under subsection 22(1);

  • (b) the quarantine officer has ordered the traveller to comply with treatment or any other measure under section 26;

  • (c) a peace officer has arrested a traveller and taken them to the quarantine officer under section 27;

  • (d) the quarantine officer is detaining a traveller under subsection 28(1); or

  • (e) the quarantine officer does not detain a traveller, for the reasons set out in paragraph 32(d).

• Marginal note:Disclosure of information

  (2) The quarantine officer shall disclose to the provincial public health authority the following personal information regarding the traveller, to the extent that it is known:

  • (a) the traveller’s name, sex, age and date of birth;

  • (b) the traveller’s itinerary, home address and location;

  • (c) the communicable disease in question and the state of the traveller’s health in respect of that disease; and

  • (d) the manner in which the traveller may have acquired the communicable disease or vectors.

• Marginal note:Disclosure to provincial public health authority

  (3) The quarantine officer may disclose confidential business information or other personal information obtained under this Act to the provincial public health authority if the officer has reasonable grounds to believe that the disclosure is necessary to prevent the spread of a communicable disease.