TORONTO -- An expanding list of Canadian politicians are in hot water after being caught vacationing or travelling abroad amid a worsening COVID-19 pandemic at home.

Current federal public health guidance says to avoid all non-essential travel outside of Canada, something Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and health authorities have repeatedly reiterated in public briefings.

Here is a quick rundown of the politicians involved thus far:

ONTARIO

Ontario Finance Minister Rod Phillips resigned after news emerged that he vacationed in the Caribbean island of St. Barts, although his social media presence made it seem otherwise. His office released tweets and Instagram posts of the minister while he was away – making it appear he was in Ontario all along.

When confronted at Toronto’s Pearson Airport on Dec. 31, Phillips called it a “dumb mistake.”

Public anger was also aimed at Ontario’s Premier Doug Ford – despite his public condemnation of Phillips’ decision – as it became clear Ford knew about the vacation two weeks ago.

“At that time I should have said ‘get your backside back into Ontario’ and I didn’t do that,” Ford said. 

On Jan. 3, Brampton West Liberal MP Kamal Khera tweeted that she would “step aside” from her role as parliamentary secretary to the minister of International Development after visiting Seattle, Wash. on Dec. 23 for a private memorial for her uncle and father, both of whom passed away during the past few months.

“My decision to run as a Member of Parliament was ultimately born from my desire to serve my community,” Khera wrote in the statement. “I am therefore choosing to focus my efforts on the most pressing concern in our fight against COVID-19; to ensure we are able to vaccinate as many people as possible, as fast as possible.”

On Jan. 4 while still abroad, Conservative MP from Ontario David Sweet resigned as chair of the House of Commons Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics Committee, and has announced he will not be running again in the next federal election.

According to the party, Sweet travelled to the U.S. to deal with a “property issue” but then stayed afterward “for leisure,” without telling Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole or the party’s whip.

ALBERTA

After initially declining to discipline members of his government for travelling abroad as it emerged staff, on Jan. 4 Alberta Premier Jason Kenney issued a statement outlining a range of sanctions and demotions for members of his government. 

“Albertans have every right to expect that people in positions of public trust be held to a higher standard of conduct,” said Kenney’s statement. “Millions of Albertans have made real sacrifices over the past 10 months to help keep each other safe. They are right to be angry about people in positions of leadership vacationing outside of the country.” 

Municipal Affairs Minister Tracy Allard, who vacationed in Hawaii, has resigned from her role, Kenney announced. 

Allard’s Instagram account posted a video of her delivering a holiday message in front of a Christmas tree at the Alberta Legislature Building while she was away from Dec. 19 to Dec. 29 – a move she denies was to cover-up her location.

Other MLAs have been stripped of their additional roles, such as committee memberships, for travelling abroad amid the pandemic. 

Late on Jan. 1, CTV Calgary confirmed Calgary-Klein MLA Jeremy Nixon was also vacationing in Hawaii and would be returning on the "earliest available flight" after being told to return home, according to the premier’s office.

Kenney has accepted his resignation as parliamentary secretary for civil society. 

He has also accepted the resignation of Jason Stephan from Treasury Board, over his international travel. 

Lesser Slave Lake MLA Pat Rehn, who travelled to Mexico, has lost his legislature committee position. 

Rehn’s Facebook photos of him in a Mexican cave wishing people a merry Christmas were shared widely online, along with other posts urging Albertans to stay home and save lives.

Calgary-Peigan MLA Tanya Fir travelled to the U.S. to visit her sister. She apologized and has returned to Canada, but has lost her committee responsibilities. 

On Jan. 2, CTV Calgary confirmed that Red Deer-South MLA Jason Stephan travelled to the U.S. and is “returning to Alberta in line with the premier’s directive."

Stephan stood by his decision to travel abroad in a statement on Facebook. 

"I support individuals and families having the freedom to choose for themselves whether they travel or not, provided they are respectful of others in doing so. International travel, in and of itself, does not negatively impact Alberta’s COVID curve if it is done responsibly," he wrote.

"I do not consider myself an exception to health guidelines. I have never asked Albertans to do things that I myself would not do – and that includes not travelling."

He has also lost his legislature committee position, as has Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo MLA Tany Yao. 

A spokesperson for the United Conservative Party caucus told CTV News by email on Jan. 3 that Yao was “currently in Mexico.

“We are attempting to contact him to advise him to return as per the premier’s directive,” the statement said. 

Kenney has also accepted the resignation of his chief of staff, James Huckabay, who travelled to the U.K. and came back via the United States on Boxing Day. 

“These individuals demonstrated extremely poor judgement,” Kenney said.  

Two education ministry press secretaries were also vacationing in Hawaii after photos surfaced of them on a beach. They have since deleted their social media accounts.

On Wednesday, CTV News Edmonton reported that Michael Forian, press secretary for Alberta’s Education Minister, was spotted in a photo with another staffer seemingly vacationing in Hawaii for Christmas.

In photos shared on Instagram, Forian appeared to be a beach with his arm around a woman tagged as Eliza Snider, press secretary for the minister of advanced education. Forian later deleted his two social media accounts after receiving online backlash to the photos.