Problem with ArriveCan app places Manitoba couple in 2-week segregation – Winnipeg

What should have been a weekend getaway to Grand Forks ended up locking Ramiro Matias and his wife for 14 days in their home in Gimli.

“For doing all the right things, I’m kind of punished at home for some glitch in an app,” Matias told Global News.

This is a problem that many Canadians have pointed out. A traveler entering Canada by land, rail or sea must upload proof of their vaccination using ArriveCan.

Matias says he followed federal government rules. He even made duplicate copies of important documents. But a technological glitch ultimately led him to a mandatory two-week quarantine period.

“We were both double vaccinated, both stayed within 72 hours. We did everything we could to make it easy to cross the border… but we had a problem with the app.

“I tried to show him the app on the screen but it didn’t open,” he said.

“They said if you don’t have the verification or the app reference number, I can’t let you in without giving you a 14-day quarantine.”

The issue of unreliable apps was raised in the House of Commons by conservative public safety critic Raquel Dancho.

“The ArriveCan app crashed for some users. Many cannot access them due to poor cell service. Many older people don’t have smartphones and for others expensive data plans are out of reach, ”Dancho said during question period.

Federal Minister of Public Security Marco Mendicino said he was aware of the problem.

“I have spoken with the CBSA so that there is additional guidance to provide travelers with the ability to provide the necessary information about ArriveCan in person at the borders,” Mendicino said.

In a statement, the Canada Border Services Agency said: “Border services officers can help land travelers comply with the requirement to submit their information digitally, allowing the traveler to return to the United States. to take the time to complete the ArriveCan form and re-enter. Canada after submitting it.

They also say that when possible, travelers can complete their ArriveCan quote upon arrival.

But that option was not given to Matias, who now faces another week of isolation.

“I had to explain to my employer that I had to be stuck at home and couldn’t go to work,” he said. “At the moment, we have groceries and medicines delivered. “

The app has been downloaded more than 4.3 million times since its launch in April 2020, according to the CBSA.

“I’m not trying to change the law. We were following all the rules. We just had a problem with the app.

For now, he says, he’s spending the next half of his 14-day isolation completing the housework on his to-do list.