Canada’s Health Minister today warned Canadians that travelling outside the country is “risky and unstable.” He also said a formal “do not travel” warning could come later.
Speaking to reporters in Ottawa, Jean-Yves Duclos said the Omicron variant around the world is making international travel difficult, and that coming home is increasingly complicated and unpredictable.
Duclos said Canadians should be “more vigilant” when travelling outside the country.
Omicron hasn’t been a major issue domestically, he said, but “If they think about travelling outside of Canada should be a red, a big red part of their radar screen. It should be flashing, because things are happening very quickly outside of Canada.”
“As we head into the winter months with a strained health system in many areas … a high degree of caution is needed to minimize spread and impact, particularly during the upcoming holiday season,” said chief medical officer Theresa Tam.
Tam suggested that Canadians keep their gatherings small and that they should travel within Canada.
Duclos said the situation is a “serious alarm bell” for those who wish to travel.
“It’s going to be uncertain and risky to travel in a number of other countries in the next week give the serious increase … of Omicron that we are seeing abroad.”
The Globe and Mail reports that the Public Health Agency of Canada “released new modelling today that warns ahead of the holiday season that if transmission increases by just 15%, the country could see new records in case counts.”
The Financial Post states that “Canada has so far recorded 87 COVID-19 cases caused by the Omicron variant, all of them asymptomatic or mild. Most of the initial cases detected were linked to recent international travelers or their close contacts.”
Duclos said Canadians returning home from out-of-the-country trips should expect “delays and hassle.”
“I think that travelling within Canada at this point in time means that you’re likely to have a much better experience than if you’re heading into the international destinations,” Tam said. “If you haven’t booked any of these trips, staying closer to home I think is definitely the better choice.”
Tam also spoke about gatherings in Canada.
“Gathering with a smaller number of people in well ventilated places – all of those layers of protection … can still enable us to have a good time while being safer and being precautionary,” she said.
Which begs the question of a large sporting event indoors, such as the Toronto Raptors or the Montreal Canadiens, or large concerts or movie theatres.
