Ontario Prime Minister Doug Ford thanked the federal government for implementing new travel restrictions in an attempt to stop the spread of the Omicron COVID-19 variant and said more discussions will take place regarding the possible expansion of new travel rules. test for US travelers.
Ford made the remarks at an unrelated news conference in Mississauga on Wednesday morning.
Several cases of Omicron variants have already been confirmed in Ontario, and Ford said that while it is a “cause for concern,” it is “not a cause for panic.”
“Every day that we delay more cases entering our country, the more time we have to learn and prepare,” Ford said.
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“So the best we can do now is strengthen our borders. Our best defense is to keep the variant out of our country. We welcome the actions of the federal government and want to thank the feds for taking action to date.
“We implored them last week to act quickly and be decisive at the borders and they did.”
In a statement last Friday, Ford called on the federal government to enact travel bans in the countries initially affected by the Omicron variant, and the feds went ahead just hours later.
On Tuesday, they extended that ban to three more countries.
Federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said foreign nationals from Nigeria, Malawi and Egypt who have been in those countries for the past two weeks will not be allowed to enter Canada. This is in addition to the seven other African countries excluded by Canada on Friday: South Africa, Mozambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho and Eswatini.
Canadians and permanent residents, as well as all those who have the right to return to Canada, who have transited these countries in the last two weeks, will have to self-quarantine, get tested at the airport and wait for the test results. before coming out of quarantine. Duclos said.
It was also announced that all air travelers entering Canada, excluding those coming from the United States, would have to be tested at the airport they arrive at and isolated until they receive a negative result. This measure will apply to all travelers, regardless of vaccination status.
In its statement last week, Ford also called for point-of-arrival testing to be implemented.
He also said he advised the province’s medical director and the Ontario Department of Public Health to “immediately implement expanded surveillance” and update planning to “ensure we are ready for any outcome.”
The Omicron variant has now been detected in many countries around the world, including, as of Wednesday, the United States.
Ford was asked if it would support the expansion of the new testing rules to those arriving from the United States.
“I would always support anything that can be cautious to prevent this variant from entering our country. So again we will have a discussion with the federal government. That’s their jurisdiction, not ours, ”Ford said.
“They work in collaboration with all the provinces and territories and I am always in favor of taking the cautious route as I think people have seen in the last 20 months.”
The prime minister added that “it doesn’t take much to do a test at the airport.”
Federal Transportation Minister Omar Alghabra said Wednesday that it is too early to say whether Canada’s latest requirement to test arriving air travelers will be extended to include those coming from the United States.
“We need to be prepared and ready if we need to adjust that decision to include travelers from the United States. We haven’t made that decision yet, ”he said.
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When asked what provincial measures are being considered in response to the Omicron variant, Ford said they will ensure there is more testing and contact tracing capabilities.
Health Minister Christine Elliott said much is still unknown about the variant, including the efficacy of vaccines against it.
He said the province is “continuing with all of our precautions” and said it is important to maintain border restrictions until more is known about the variant.
Elliott also said more information will be released in the coming days “regarding age categories” on booster shots.
– With files from Saba Aziz and The Canadian Press
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