Canada is unlikely to change its on-arrival PCR testing rules anytime soon, says federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos. Speaking to the media on Monday, Duclos said the Omicron variant is still too severe to drop mandatory COVID-19 tests for air travellers arriving in Canada. Duclos said the surge propelled by the Omicron variant remains “a great concern” both in Canada and internationally, The Toronto Star reports. “At the moment, it’s not going to happen,” Duclos said in French when asked Monday about dropping the testing requirement for people who fly into Canada. “We are probably, in Canada, not even at Read more
Ottawa
There’s growing evidence that Canada is open to changing its on-arrival testing program for international air travellers. A prominent tourism and business group yesterday called for on-arrival tests to be scrapped, arguing they’re not necessary and that tests should be redeployed to help make up for test shortages in Canadian communities. Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer, Theresa Tam, said later in the day that the policy will be evaluated “over time.” “It is a capacity drain on the system as a whole,” she said, acknowledging the concerns raised by the Canadian Travel and Tourism Roundtable group. “Tracking every case isn’t Read more
The Canadian government is not going to be closing its borders to battle Omicron, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said today. Speaking at Rideau Cottage in Ottawa, Trudeau said the Omicron variants “is already here.” “Shutting down the borders at this point would not be an effective measure,” Trudeau said. The government instead feels its best to try to limit gathering sizes and improve COVID-19 testing, he said. Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos echoed Trudeau’s comments, saying Canada has “some of the strongest border measures” in the world. He also noted that visitors to Canada must be tested for the coronavirus before Read more
Powerful travel and tourism groups are welcoming passage of a Canadian government bill to aid the industry. The Canadian Parliament and Justin Trudeau government on Thursday passed Bill C-2, which provides further support to the industry in response to the devastating COVID-19 pandemic. The Coalition of the Hardest Hit Businesses said welcomes the passing of the bill for an industry that has been hit hard by border closures, travel bans, and the loss of international and domestic travellers. A survey of Coalition members earlier in the year found that up to 60% did not expect to make it through the Read more
WestJet says the travel warning issued by the Canadian government on Wednesday is not based on science and could create holiday season chaos. “The WestJet Group today is expressing its strong opposition to the travel advisory issued by the Government of Canada,” the Calgary-based company said in a statement. “The targeted advice outlined today is not based on science and data and significantly undermines aviation’s proven safety record in response to COVID-19. “These measures are a setback in Canada’s progress and its successful transition from relying on blanket advisories and policies.” The Justin Trudeau government on Wednesday announced a four-week advisory Read more
