All Air Travelers Except Those From The US Now Require COVID Testing At Airport

OTTAWA – All air travelers entering Canada, except those coming from the United States, will now need to be tested for COVID-19 upon arrival at the airport and isolated until the results are obtained, even if they are fully vaccinated against the virus.

The strictest measures come as public health officials around the world warn of the potentially dangerous new Omicron variant of COVID-19. Canada has now confirmed cases in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and Alberta, all related to people who recently returned from Nigeria.

With that in mind, the federal government is also extending its border closure to foreign nationals who have recently traveled through three more African countries, Nigeria, Egypt and Malawi, where officials first became aware of the new. variant.

That is in addition to the seven southern African countries announced last week: South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Namibia and eSwatini.

The Associated Press reported Tuesday that the new findings suggested that the Omicron variant was already present in Europe nearly a week before South African authorities reported its existence to the World Health Organization, raising questions about the choice to focus. in Africa.

Dr. Theresa Tam, director of public health, said one of the factors is the positivity rate among travelers arriving in Canada.

“We have now confirmed the Omicron cases, all of our reported cases so far have been … from Nigeria,” Tam told a news conference in Ottawa on Tuesday.

Federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said the government will consult with the provinces and territories on Tuesday night, before introducing similar tests and isolation measures for travelers coming from the US.

Most travelers will be allowed to isolate themselves at home while they await their results. Canadians and permanent residents arriving from the 10 listed countries, or who do not have a safe place to quarantine, will need to stay in a quarantine hotel until their COVID-19 test at the airport is negative.

There are still many questions about the new variant, including the severity of the disease it causes and the transmissibility of the virus.

All air travelers entering Canada, except those coming from the US, will now need to undergo a # COVID19 test upon arrival and isolate them until they get their results, even if they are fully vaccinated against the virus. #Omicron #cdnpoli

The World Health Organization warned that the impact could be very serious. On Tuesday, he warned that anyone who is not vaccinated against COVID-19 or who is at risk of developing severe COVID-19 illness and dying, including those 60 and older, should postpone travel.

The new measures at the airport may take time to implement, Duclos said, and could also lead to delays at the border, according to Public Security Minister Marco Mendicino.

“Our Border Service Officers will never compromise the health and safety of Canadians for the sake of border wait times,” Mendicino said.

Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said travelers choosing to leave the country should be aware that COVID-19 protection measures could change at any time.

A stricter vaccination mandate for domestic travelers also went into effect Tuesday.

Unvaccinated travelers over the age of 12 can no longer board a passenger plane or train in Canada, and a negative COVID-19 test will not serve as a substitute for most people.

The policy was implemented on October 30, but the federal government allowed a short transition period for unvaccinated travelers who could board, provided they present a negative molecular COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of their trip. It does not apply to commuter trains.

The government has issued warnings on social media that even Canadians and permanent residents abroad will not be able to fly home past their point of entry without receiving a full list of approved vaccines.

There are some exceptions, including valid medical exemptions, travel to remote communities that can only be accessed by air, and those transiting Canada en route to another destination.

Most people who qualify for an exemption will need a recent COVID-19 test.

Finally, the government has requested guidance from the National Immunization Advisory Committee on whether it should introduce new standards on the use of booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine against the new variant.

“We are explicitly asking NACI to quickly present a revised vision on where, how and to whom these reinforcements should be administered,” Duclos said.

WHO has urged countries not to offer boosters to healthy adults until high-risk people in other countries around the world have been vaccinated.

Duclos said Canada is doing relatively well when it comes to supporting developing countries in their vaccination efforts.

“We know that this pandemic will end only when it ends globally and that is why obviously we must ensure the health and safety of Canadians, but we must also support other countries,” he said.

New national sanitation measures will likely also be discussed with the provinces, Duclos said.

This Canadian Press report was first published on November 30, 2021.

Reference-www.nationalobserver.com

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