Ontario family forced to pay $3,458 for 15-hour stay at Trudeau govt COVID facility after returning from funeral abroad

Cristina Teixeira told CTV News that she felt gouged by the "ill-conceived" plan, telling media that receiving any information on what to do, or how much she'd have to pay, when returning to Canada was next to impossible.

Teixeira, who has worked as a public employee in Ontario for 28 years, says that she, her brother, and her daughter, returned to Canada on February 27.

"The stress that we were put under is inconceivable," Teixeira told media. "As a Canadian citizen, public servant, I can tell you this is wrong on so many levels. We've never experienced something like this."

Upon arrival, Teixeira was told that she and her family would not be exempt from the quarantine for compassionate reasons, and instead were told to book hotels at the Crowne Plaza hotel for $369 a night, for a minimum of three nights.

After booking a room with two queen beds, Teixeira says that the price suddenly jumped from $369 to $769 per night. According to Teixeira, officials initially gave her the price for a single person.

"When we got there to check-in all of a sudden our price went up from $369 per night to $769 per night plus tax," she said. "They knew there were three of us. They didn't give us the right information."

In total, Teixeira's credit card was charged $3,458.

"At this point it was 1:30 in the morning, we were exhausted and we just agreed. We said we'll worry about it in the morning. They handed us three sandwiches and three waters and nothing else."

Teixeira would then spend the next 15 hours at the COVID facility until her family's negative tests returned. The family was charged in full for three nights, despite pleading with staff.

"If I were to walk off the street that room would have cost me $159 plus $10 per extra person," Teixeira added. "There was no special care given to us because we came from the airport."

"The government has not really figured out the plan. It's literally just horrible."