Good afternoon, Mr. Chair and members of the committee. Thank you for the invitation to participate in today's proceedings and for providing me with the opportunity to discuss with you the important work being done by the Canada Border Services Agency in the midst of this global health crisis. Also participating in the call is my vice-president of our travellers program, Mr. Denis Vinette, who has been leading the measures at all ports of entry with respect to the traveller stream.
Mr. Chair, I'd like to begin by saying I'm very proud of the men and women at the CBSA, who are working tirelessly both on the front lines and behind the scenes to help contain the spread of COVID-19 while keeping essential goods flowing to Canadians. The health and safety of our workforce is paramount and we continue to work closely with Health Canada, the unions and our employees to ensure they are protected.
You are all aware that the situation has evolved rapidly and we continue to adapt our operational posture to respond. As the Minister of Public Safety outlined in presentations before the House of Commons and the Senate last week, the CBSA has a dual mandate to protect the safety and security of Canadians while facilitating trade and commerce at the border. In the face of COVID-19, I can assure the committee that we are working hard on both fronts.
From a safety and security perspective, the Government of Canada has put in place a number of enhanced border measures to help mitigate and contain the spread of the virus. These measures, which began on January 22, have resulted in a dramatic decrease on the inbound flow of travellers to the country. As a result of the prohibition of foreign nationals, including United States nationals, from entering Canada by air, land, rail and marine for non-essential or discretionary purposes, we have seen an overall decline of travellers by 79% in all modes, including air, since the prohibitions came into force, and 94% when compared with the same period last year.
Regardless of how and where they arrive, all travellers are being assessed upon their arrival into Canada. Travellers who are deemed to be symptomatic are provided with surgical masks and information on mandatory self-isolation by the CBSA, and are required to complete the contact tracing form. They are then directly referred to a Public Health Agency of Canada officer for assessment and follow up.
As Minister Blair mentioned, Transport Canada has also increased the responsibilities of air carriers flying into Canada. Air carriers are required to conduct a health check of every traveller at the gate prior to boarding, and must ask the traveller if they are exhibiting a fever, coughing or difficulty breathing. If a traveller is symptomatic, air carriers must also ask the traveller if they have been denied boarding in the past 14 days due to a medical reason related to COVID-19. Travellers answering affirmative to either of these questions, or if they refuse to answer the questions, will be denied boarding by the air carrier, which will then advise the CBSA. Travellers who have a medical certificate stating that the symptoms are not related to COVID-19 will be exempted.
The CBSA now informs travellers that it is mandatory to self-isolate for 14 days upon entry into Canada. The CBSA also has measures in place to assist the Public Health Agency of Canada in its efforts to monitor and enforce compliance of the mandatory self-isolation orders, through contact tracing for all travellers arriving in Canada in land and air mode and through temporary lookouts in our systems.
The contact tracing form captures basic biographical data and contact information for the passenger while in Canada. Once completed it is provided to the Public Health Agency of Canada, which determines when and how to share this information with provincial authorities and/or law enforcement. Mandatory contact tracing applies to all travellers by land or air.
The CBSA also creates temporary lookouts in its system to support Public Health Agency efforts to ensure that asymptomatic travellers comply with directions on self-isolation following entry into Canada, and that symptomatic travellers who are issued a quarantine order under the Quarantine Act comply with those orders. The temporary lookout measures are already in effect.
Lookouts will not be issued on all asymptomatic travellers, but rather on those the CBSA believes may not have respected the requirement to self-isolate and have given indications that they may be unwilling to comply. The CBSA will notify the Public Health Agency every time it encounters an individual who it believes has failed to comply with the order to self-isolate. The lookout information will be maintained for a period of 14 days. The CBSA will share that information with United States Customs and Border Protection.
The CBSA will support compliance with the Public Health Agency travel and public health order issued under the Quarantine Act, including providing information at the border.
Turning to our facilitation mandate, I also want to assure the committee that the CBSA understands the critical nature of ensuring that essential goods and services, food, medicines and workers continue to be able to move across the border.
Let me be clear that while we have seen a reduction in truck traffic, overall the supply chains for Canadian industry and businesses remain intact. In fact, 114,032 truck drivers have been permitted to enter Canada since restrictions took effect on March 21. This is why there are important exemptions to the recent travel restrictions that were put in place. Whether it be first responders, truck drivers or workers supporting the agricultural and transportation sectors, these are some among us who are providing the essential services necessary to keep Canada's engines running.
To this end, I recently wrote to the secretary general of the World Customs Organization on March 17 to—