Contact tracing was and is a major part of the response in Canada. We have similar fines and penalties. Quarantine Act emergency measures are in effect. Thous

Contact tracing was and is a major part of the response in Canada. We have similar fines and penalties. Quarantine Act emergency measures are in effect. Thousands have been fined. A handful of wilful breakers of ordered quarantine have been criminally charged. The drastic difference in outcome so far compared to Australia boils down to just a few differences, as far as I can tell: * we never truly closed the border. We should probably have tried harder, but it is impossible to strictly do so with the USA, at least. The majority of cases in last March and April were from American visitors, and locals who had travelled there. Those seeds of outbreak seem to still be the main strain circulating now. * our lockdowns were not quite as strict, or strictly enforced, and were more haphazard for when they were applied and when they were loosened * testing was not deployed as rapidly or widely * contact tracing becomes less and less feasible with the more cases there are, and past a tipping point it becomes hopeless to expect it will actually contain it (though they certainly still try)