Omicron variant: Canada extends travel ban, seeks enhanced guidance – National

Canada is restricting travel from three other African countries and seeking guidance on COVID-19 boosters between the arrival of Omicron variant.

During a press conference on Tuesday, Federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said foreign nationals from Nigeria, Malawi and Egypt who have been to these countries in the past two weeks will not be able to enter Canada. This adds to the seven other African countries banned by Canada on Friday: South Africa, Mozambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho and Eswatini.

Canadians and permanent residents, as well as all those with the right to return to Canada, who have transited through these countries in the past two weeks, will be required to isolate, check at the airport and await test results. before exiting. , said Duclos.

In addition to the travel ban, Canadians and permanent residents – even those who are fully immunized – must be screened before entering Canada after visiting any of the 10 countries listed. , said Transport Minister Omar Alghbara.

“Canadians will need to stop and get a valid result in a third country before entering Canada,” said Alghbara.

Ministers said the screening requirement would also be expanded and would now include anyone arriving in Canada from a foreign country other than the United States. These travelers will need to be screened upon arrival at the airport, quarantined, and waited, until their test results are known before being released from quarantine, Duclos said.

Duclos said the test on arrival, which will be covered by the federal government, complements the pre-departure test before arriving in Canada, Duclos said.

The border measures will give Canada more time to better understand the new variation in transmissibility, disease severity and impact on vaccine effectiveness, said Dr. Howard Njoo, Associate Director. Canada’s director of public health said.

“We don’t have those answers yet, but scientists around the world are working closely to find them,” he said.

“So right now these measures are just to slow the spread of the virus.”

Travel restrictions are not the only thing that concerns Canadian officials now that the Omicron cases are happening around the country. The Government of Canada is also asking the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) to quickly issue the latest directives on the use of boosters in the context of the new Omicron variant.

“This appeal we made is asking the NACI to provide quick guidance on whether we should revise national standards, national attitudes and actions regarding the use of nationals,” Duclos said. booster use across Canada in the context of the new Omicron variant,” Duclos said.

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Canada may need to do more to combat Omicron COVID-19 variant, Trudeau says

As of Tuesday, Canada has confirmed seven cases of the Omicron variant: four in Ontario and one in Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia.

Omicron is the fifth and newest variant designated by the World Health Organization (WHO).

This variant is more mutated than the others of interest, containing more than 30 mutations, which scientists fear could help it spread easily or even evade antibodies from the infection. or previous vaccinations.

WHO has warned that Omicron COVID-19 poses a “very high” risk of an increase in infections that could have “serious consequences” in some places, although further research is still needed to assess the potential impact. its treasure.

– with files from Rachael D’Amore