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Omicron: Fully jabbed air travellers to undergo test on arrival in Canada
Apart from the initial entry ban, introduced last week, on those coming from seven southern African nations, Canada has also banned travellers from Egypt, Nigeria and Malawi over Omicron fears.
Amidst concerns over the Omicron variant of Covid-19, Canada has introduced fresh measures for air travellers, requiring even fully vaccinated passengers to undergo a molecular test on arrival and subjecting them to quarantine till those results are available. That applies to all international travellers, including those from India, and only exempts those arriving from departure points in the United States.
Canada also expanded its ban on foreign nationals travelling from select African nations, adding three countries to its list. While the original prohibition, introduced last week, was on those coming from seven southern African nations, on Tuesday that list was expanded to include Egypt, Nigeria and Malawi. Those restrictions apply to those who have been in the listed countries over the past 14-day period, and they will also be required to provide a negative test result taken within 72 hours of their departure for Canada.
These announcements came on a day when travel to Canada was eased for many Indians, as the country started accepting those with two doses of Covaxin as fully vaccinated. However, the new measures will mean all arriving passengers will be tested at their Canadian port of entry.
These new measures were precipitated by growing concerns over the Omicron variant, which is considered more transmissible than the original Covid-19 virus which originated in China, or prior variants like Alpha and Delta.
Canadian citizens and permanent residents are still allowed to travel to the country from the ten African countries but will have to undergo a 14-day quarantine.
So far, seven cases linked to Omicron have been reported in Canada, in the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia and Alberta.
Health authorities are now mulling implementing booster doses of Covid-19 vaccines for the eligible people who have had already two jabs.
In a statement, Canada’s minister of health Jean-Yves Duclos said, “We are taking quick action at our borders to mitigate travel related importations of the Omicron variant. While our monitoring systems are working well, we now know that the Omicron variant is present in Canada. We need to remain vigilant in our own actions.”
The Omicron-related measures are temporary and will be revisited depending on the evolving situation and availability of more information and data about the variant and its impact.
