There鈥檚 nothing even slightly funny about Susan Thompson鈥檚 situation.

She is in the red, thanks to a federal quarantine policy that forced the to spend her earnings from a recent U.S. trip on a pricey quarantine hotel on her return to Canada.

Under federal COVID-19 restrictions in effect at the time, travellers entering Canada by air have to quarantine in a government-approved hotel for three days at their own expense.

Even if a traveller has been fully vaccinated, like Thompson has, and even if they have tested negative, as Thompson did, several times, there are no exceptions.

After flying to Las Vegas in early June to perform, the hotel stay on her return cost Thompson just over $1,000.

鈥淚t鈥檚 costing me money to work,鈥� Thompson summed it up.

Paying the government for a mandatory quarantine has been 鈥渇inancially devastating,鈥� Thompson said.

Travelling south is not optional for a standup comedian, Thompson explained, not with fewer potential venues during the pandemic.

鈥淚鈥檓 not leaving for the States because I want to party and have a good time. It鈥檚 to work.鈥�

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After working at a wide range of jobs, including forklift operator in a warehouse, a commercial painter, and at an automotive shop, for about a third of what she would usually be making, the offer of work in the U.S. was too good to pass up.

鈥淰egas was my chance to get the ball rolling again,鈥� Thompson explained.

鈥淚n my business, if you鈥檙e out of the game too long, you become irrelevant.鈥�

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If she was driving back to Canada, Thompson鈥檚 costs would have been considerably less, because she would be allowed to quarantine at home without having to .

鈥淭he rules need to be the same for crossing the borders by foot,鈥� Thompson said.

鈥淚f I was able to make it work, I could鈥檝e crossed by foot and avoided the mandatory government quarantine costs, but my work permits do not afford me the luxury.鈥�

  Thompson took her case to 91原创-Aldergrove MP Tako van Popta, who brought the matter up in the House of Commons during Question Period on June 11, saying the hotel stay policy 鈥渕akes no sense.鈥�

鈥淧eople are not convinced that it is better than a stay-at-home order,鈥� van Popta commented.

鈥淲hen will the government scrap this botched program?鈥�

Minister of Health Patty Hajdu replied that the government quarantine policy has been guided by 鈥渟cience and evidence,鈥� and indicated the government has no immediate plans to drop it.

鈥淲e can see the finish line. It is important that we are cautious and careful on our next step,鈥� Hajdu commented.

Van Popta told the 91原创 Advance Times that 鈥渕any constituents, including Ms. Thompson, have contacted my office to share their experiences with the Government鈥檚 mandatory hotel quarantine program.鈥�

On Monday, June 21, the federal government announced fully vaccinated Canadians and permanent residents returning to Canada would be able to avoid a mandatory quarantine beginning July 5.

Thompson called it 鈥渁 step in the right direction but not enough.鈥�