Upon arrival travellers will nonetheless should quarantine for 14 days. (File)
Ottawa:
Canada would require travellers to acquire a destructive Covid-19 check earlier than being allowed into the nation, the federal government introduced Wednesday.
The polymerase chain response (PCR) assessments will must be carried out inside three days of boarding a flight, officers advised a information convention.
Upon arrival travellers will nonetheless should quarantine for 14 days.
Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic Leblanc stated the brand new measure — together with elevated monitoring at Canadian airports — can be in place “quickly,” however didn’t present a selected date.
It comes after a brand new pressure was recognized in Britain, and has already unfold to Canada.
At the identical time, Ontario’s finance minister, Rod Phillips, was publicly chided this week for taking a household trip within the Caribbean simply as Canada’s most populous province went into lockdown and the variety of new every day Covid-19 instances throughout Canada hit report highs.
“Although most Canadians have heeded advice for non-essential travel, some Canadians are still travelling for non-essential reasons. This is deeply concerning,” stated deputy chief public well being officer Howard Njoo.
“We must iterate that now is not the time to travel,” he stated.
Only about two % of Covid-19 instances in Canada have been traced to latest journey.
Its borders have been closed to most non-essential journey since March, and final week Canada halted entry of all flights from Britain over the brand new virus variant.
Days later, Ottawa confirmed the primary instances of the notably infectious coronavirus variant in Canada.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford, in the meantime, has criticized Phillips for vacationing outdoors Canada when officers are urging towards journey, and has ordered him again residence.
“I have let the minister know that his decision to travel is completely unacceptable and that it will not be tolerated again — by him or any member of our cabinet and caucus,” Ford stated in a press release.
“I have also told the minister I need him back in the country immediately.”
As of Wednesday, Canada reported 571,070 Covid-19 instances, together with 15,440 deaths.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by LiveNews360 employees and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)
