Canadians Evelyn Herscovitz and Ron Diamond said they were ordered to quarantine for 14 days for not filling out the ArriveCAN app at the land border after a one-day trip to New York.

Ron Diamond and Evelyn Herscovitz were shocked when they were ordered to quarantine for 14 days after returning via the Canadian land border on May 22 following a one-day trip to Plattsburgh, New York.

The fully vaccinated couple said a border officer told them they had to quarantine because they had not filled out the ArriveCAN app.

Herscovitz said from her home in Montreal: "This is ridiculous." "People don’t even have to quarantine for 14 days anymore when they have COVID."

The federal government dropped most travel restrictions for fully vaccinated people. However, use of the ArriveCAN app is still required to submit travel information and COVID-19 related health information within 72 hours before arriving in Canada.

Travelers who do not do so may face a 14-day quarantine and even a fine of up to $5,000.

Some politicians say it’s time to cancel the app because it creates trouble for travelers and hinders tourism.

Conservative MP Raquel Dancho said, "The app is so difficult that some seniors have to cancel trips."

The federal government announced Wednesday that ArriveCAN will remain in use at least until June 30.

The Canada Border Services Agency told an email that it has measures to help travelers with ArriveCAN. The agency said it helps people fill out the app at the land border or allows them to return to the U.S. to complete the process.

Diamond and Herscovitz — who traveled on May 22 — said they were not offered any options, even though this was their first trip outside Canada since the pandemic, and they did not know travelers crossing by land had to fill out the app.

Public Health Canada said the ArriveCAN program is required to help protect the health of travelers and speed up the entry process at the border.

Spokesperson Tammy Garbo said in an email: "It is the fastest, easiest and safest way for travelers to prove they meet all public health requirements."

In the same context, Mark Weber, national president of the Customs and Immigration Union, said: "Travelers who do not fill out the app cause significant delays, especially at the land border."

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) confirmed that officers sometimes provide inquiring travelers with information on places that offer help filling out the ArriveCAN app.

The tourism sector hoped to return to almost normal this summer, but these plans are being hindered by delays and long waits faced by travelers.

Niagara Mayor Jim Diodati said the app acts as a barrier to Americans of all ages visiting Canada.

According to Statistics Canada, Americans made 479,500 land trips to Canada in April, down 50 percent compared to pre-pandemic numbers in April 2019.

Diodati said about the app: "It’s just another added hurdle in the routine." "It’s another reason not to come to Canada and go somewhere else."

Editing: Dima Abu Khair