Syed Khan – December 20, 2021
Canada has announced that it will reimpose PCR test requirements for citizens and permanent residents that travel outside Canada for less than 72 hours. They will need to show a negative test on arrival back in Canada. It has also announced that it will lift the travel ban previously imposed on 10 countries.
These measures were announced by Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos in Canada’s latest attempts to curb the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. Canada has been on edge with more than 7,000 new COVID-19 cases recorded this week, a worrying rise since May.
It was also announced that these new measures will come into effect from December 21, and Canadian airports have expanded their testing capacities to 20,960 tests daily.
The countries on the travel ban list were:
- Namibia
- Malawi
- Egypt
- South Africa
- Nigeria
- Mozambique
- Botswana
- Zimbabwe
- Lesotho
- Eswatini
Quote by Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos:
“There is still a lot we don’t know about the Omicron variant, but we do know it is spreading fast. Because we can never be too vigilant when it comes to the safety and health of Canadians, we are updating our travel and border measures and are also working hand in hand with provinces and territories to help slow down the spread of the variant in communities across the country.”
Quote by Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra:
“The Government of Canada continues to take quick action based on science, to protect the health and safety of Canadians throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. We must all work together to contain the spread of COVID-19 and this Omicron variant by following public health advice and getting vaccinated. We will not hesitate to introduce measures, as required, to keep travelers and transportation workers safe.”
The list of accepted vaccines has also been updated. The list is as follows:
- Pfizer
- Moderna
- AstraZeneca
- COVAXIN
- Johnson & Johnson
- Sinopharm
- Sinovac
The full public health statement by the Canadian government can be read here: ( https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/news/2021/11/remarks-from-the-chief-public-health-officer-on-november-26-2021.html )
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