U.K. doctors headed to province after getting clarity on travel restrictions

A family of two doctors and their children are self isolating in Montreal before they join the healthcare ranks in New Brunswick.

They were set to travel from the United Kingdom to New Brunswick on Wednesday, March 18, but their fate was uncertain after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced travel restrictions would take effect that same day to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus COVID-19.

Trudeau closed the borders to everyone except Canadian citizens and permanent residents.

The medical community rallied to find a way to still bring them in. They sent pleas to the federal minister of immigration over social media, and enlisted the help of Saint John-Rothesay MP Wayne Long.

On Friday the federal government clarified that people who already had work and study permits can still enter the country, including short-term agricultural workers and healthcare professionals.

'Invaluable' help

The two doctors are currently self-isolating in Montreal for 14 days, said Saint John doctor Paul Keyes. He said one of them will begin working at the Saint John emergency room as early as May, and the other will join the intensive care unit in Moncton

"They're invaluable," Keyes said. "They build depth to the team ... So if one of us gets sick then we've got somebody that can very easily substitute into our schedule in the meantime."

Keyes said they're careful about who they recruit. The doctor joining him in Saint John is "a team player" and will strengthen the team.

Saint John doctor and Dalhousie University professor Dr. Paul Atkinson previously said the couple sold their house in the U.K. and sent all their possessions to New Brunswick ahead of moving.

Keyes said they're still in Montreal because when they arrived there from the UK, their flight to Saint John had already been cancelled. So they decided to self isolate before getting on any more planes.

Keyes said the province is already contacting retired physicians to see if they can rejoin the ranks as they prepare for an increase in COVID-19 cases, so the addition of two doctors benefits everyone.

"We're looking forward to working with them."

Keyes said the doctors learned last Wednesday that they would actually be in the air when the new Canadian rules were to take effect. That's when they asked for help from MP Wayne Long, who said he communicated with the federal department of immigration and got the answers they needed to let the family get through customs.

"Between Mr. Long's office and the minister responsible for the customs and immigration, they had worked out a plan. But they were all hands on deck because I don't think it was just those individuals they were working on," Keyes said.

Long said he was lobbying for them to be allowed in the country because their services are badly needed in New Brunswick, especially considering the COVID-19 crisis.

"Our medical community was advocating for them. They were all going to be a big part of the community here and we certainly wanted to prioritize that," he said.