You may also book your choice of hotels, Airbnb, or private housing. However, please make sure to contact the hotels before your departure and check what services are available for your quarantine. For example, airport pick-up, meals delivered to guestroom, health and safety protocols.
If you need help finding accommodations or developing your quarantine plan, please contact Heartland International English School for assistance at , or by phoning 1-204-989-8448.
Once you’ve booked your long-term housing arrangements (ex: homestay, residence, private housing), contact them to confirm whether you are able to self-isolate there for 14 days upon arrival to Canada. Some accommodation providers may allow you to safely quarantine in this space, while others may require you to complete your 14-day quarantine prior to moving into your accommodations.
In the event you are eligible to move-in upon arrival to Canada, provide your accommodations provider confirmation on your arrival date/time. Confirm with them if they provide transportation from the airport to your accommodations upon arrival to Winnipeg.
In the event you are required to self-isolate before moving into your permanent accommodations, provide your accommodations provider confirmation on your arrival date/time, along with your plan for 14-day quarantine.
Accommodation Services
Determine what services are available by your 14-day quarantine accommodation provider. Confirm if they:
Provide airport transportation upon arrival
Provide meal delivery services and, if so, how often and at what cost
Provide bedsheets, towels, and other supplies
Book airport pick-up services
To safely get from the airport to where you are quarantining, students are advised to avoid using public transit (i.e. the bus). It’s recommended to use a private vehicle, and remain inside your vehicle without making unnecessary stops. If you need gas, pay at the pump. If you need food, go through a drive-thru, ensuring you maintain a two-metre distance and avoid paying with cash. Do not stop for supplies or groceries. Ask friends to drop-off groceries and supplies, or use a delivery or pick-up service when you get home.
If you do not have access to a private vehicle, taxis or hotel shuttles can be considered provided they follow all requirements as outlined under the advice for vehicles for hire and their passengers (https://www.gov.mb.ca/covid19/restoring/transportation.html):
Drivers should do the following:
Screen all passengers for symptoms of COVID-19 or exposures prior to entering the vehicle. Passengers experiencing symptoms of a respiratory illness (e.g., cough, fever, sore throat, runny nose) that do not have access to a private vehicle, are advised to call Health Links – Info Santé to assist with developing a plan to get to a health facility.
Ensure they self-monitor for symptoms before starting their shift
Consult Transport Canada’s guidelines when considering a physical barrier between the driver and passengers. As an alternative to installing a physical barrier, leave the passenger seat and the seat immediately behind the driver unoccupied.
Transport one fare at a time (e.g. people from the same household).
Clean hands before pick-up with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Open the vehicle windows(weather permitting) and use the vents of the vehicle to bring in fresh air from outside (avoid using the recirculated air option of the vehicle).
Encourage passengers to use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer before entering the vehicle, and ask passengers to avoid touching the interior of the vehicle as much as possible.
Limit contact with passengers by:
Requiring passengers to load and unload their personal belongings (e.g., suitcases, briefcases) by themselves; if this is not feasible and passengers require assistance, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer before/after (un)loading passengers’ personal belongings. And
Requiring passengers to sit in the back seats only(if transporting one passenger, have them sit in the back, passenger side of the vehicle). The front passenger seat should be vacant at all times. This may mean limiting the number of passengers you transport at one time, and may require additional trips. Passengers with special needs who require a companion may sit next to their companion (treated as if they were from the same household). As applicable, passengers from different households should also maintain physical distancing (two metres) when lining up to get in the vehicle, and when exiting the vehicle.
Should a passenger require assistance getting in/out of the vehicle and/or with their seatbelts, limit the interaction to be as brief as possible, and use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer before/after assisting the passenger.
Direct passengers to place all of their personal belongings in the trunk rather than in the back seat.
Encourage cashless transactions.
Clean and disinfect your vehicle after you drop off each fare with an alcohol (70 per cent) wipe, paying close attention to surfaces that are touched frequently (e.g., door handles, window controls, payment device). Where possible, use vehicles with interior surfaces that can be cleaned and disinfected easily (e.g. vinyl seats instead of fabric).
Clean your hands after you drop off each fare with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. You should also clean your hands before and after you eat as well as after you cough or sneeze.
Provide a closed bin, lined with a plastic bag (i.e., plastic-lined garbage container) to enable the hygienic disposal of waste (e.g., used tissues).
Everyone in the vehicle should avoid touching their face, practice good cough etiquette, avoid touching high-touch areas and clean their hands before and after getting in the vehicle
Manitoba Public Health indicated that only one student can be in a hotel shuttle / private vehicle from the airport to the hotel and those students must quarantine alone. The only exception is if the students have co-arriving immediate family members (where they resided together) and for homestay placements, as long as precautions are all in place.
You must quarantine in a place where you will have no contact with vulnerable people, such as:
people 65 years or older, or
people with underlying medical conditions
You will need to confirm you have a suitable place to quarantine where you will have access to basic necessities, such as food and medication.
You must wear a non-medical mask or face covering while traveling to the place you will quarantine.
Further, you must:
go directly to your place of quarantine, without stopping anywhere, and stay there for 14 days
do not go to school, work or other public areas and community settings
monitor your health for symptoms of COVID-19
arrange to have someone pick up essentials like groceries or medication for you
do not have visitors
stay in a private place like your yard or balcony if you go outside for fresh air
keep a distance of at least 2 arms lengths (approximately 2 metres) from others
Packing for your 14-day quarantine
Pack things you will need for your travel as well as for your 14-day quarantine period upon arrival. Aside from the usual items you would pack, such as clothing and toiletries, some suggested items to help you through travel to Canada and quarantine include:
Prescription medication
Face masks
Thermometer
Printed copies of documents, including those listed in the During Travel section of this guide
Laptop, phone, and chargers to keep connected with your family and friends while in quarantine
Activities such as books and games
Bedsheets and towels (depending if your housing arrangements require you to bring your own)
A credit card is recommended to ensure you can purchase delivery services when needed
