The mother, who spoke to LifeSiteNews today by phone under condition of anonymity from her designated quarantine facility (DQF) in Winnipeg, Manitoba, said that she, together with her children and the children’s grandmother had traveled to the U.S. from Manitoba earlier this month to attend the 79-year-old grandmother’s medical appointment and to visit family.
Eager to follow the rules of reentry into Canada, the mother, a registered nurse (RNBN) who works in chronic care, went in with her mother and children for the PCR COVID tests on Friday, Feb. 12. The tests all came back negative. They also came with an expiration date of 72 hours set by the Canadian government, meaning that the test would only be valid for 72 hours after taking it.
Five test results came back on Sunday. The last one came back Monday at 1:30 AM. At 6:30 AM that same morning, the mother left for the Canadian border, with 8 hours left before the tests expired. Normally, this would have been more than sufficient time. But then the family’s car started having troubles.
“Three warning lights came on, causing me to drive slower,” the 47-year-old mother said.
The family finally reached the Pembina-Emerson border just after 4:00 p.m. They came prepared with their test results and a quarantine plan for when they returned to their home in Winnipeg. But by the time they reached the customs official, their COVID tests had already expired by 2 hours and 15 minutes.
“I should’ve called the border to say we were going to be late,” said the mother. “But never in a million years did I think the timelines would be so rigid.”
“The border agents could’ve said the tests were expired and given me the option to turn around and get another test. But no, they kept us there over 3 hours and then handed each of us a $3,000 citation totaling $18,000.”
The mother along with her four children — aged 9, 12, 14, and 16 — and their grandmother each received the maximum fine possible. The family was then ordered to drive to the nearest Designated Quarantine Facility (DQF), which is in Winnipeg where they were told they must stay until they can receive another COVID test.
“They threatened me that if I didn’t go to the DQF, they would fine me another $3,000 and send the police.”
The mother, almost crying as she spoke, said that everyone in her family has been traumatized by what unfolded.
“I was just doing what I was told to do. And still, this is what happened. I was totally compliant. I’m doing this, I’m doing that. I was getting tested. I was trying my best to give them what they wanted, and it still wasn’t good enough. I had no wiggle room. No, they were just so rigid.”
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