When did this change come in? I'm traveling on March 14 th. Phone service won't take booking unless flight is in next 48hrs.
Is there any govt rule now that u can book directly with hotel?
Yes it's in the official link only..
List of government-authorized hotels
The mandatory 3-night reservation at a government-authorized hotel is a fully pre-paid, non-refundable rate that will be charged to the credit card provided at the time of booking.
Book directly with the government-authorized hotels listed below.
Identify that you require accommodation for the COVID-19 mandatory 3-night hotel stopover.
Alberta: Calgary International Airport (YYC)
British Columbia: Vancouver International Airport (YVR)
Ontario: Toronto Pearson Airport (YYZ)
Quebec: Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL)
Book your hotel
Direct
Some of the hotels offer direct online booking for government-authorized accommodation.
For all others, identify that you require accommodation for the COVID-19 mandatory 3-night stopover to ensure you are booked correctly.