COVID-19: Ottawa requires negative test for travelers from China
While the federal government had lifted, on October 1, all restrictions related to COVID-19 at the entrance of the country, Ottawa is giving a turn of the screw to travelers from China, Hong Kong and Macau. As of January 5, they will have to present a negative test result for COVID-19 in order to be able to enter Canada.
This decision was taken following “the sudden increase in COVID-19 cases in the People's Republic of China, and due to the limited amount of epidemiological and genome sequencing data from the virus concerning these cases”, explained the government. of Canada, by press release.
The measure will apply to all travelers aged 2 years and over, regardless of their vaccination status or nationality. Described as “temporary” by Ottawa, it will remain in effect for 30 days before being reassessed “as more data and evidence becomes available”.
Recall that China is currently facing an explosion in the number of COVID-19 infections across the country. His government recently conceded that it was unable to trace the evolution of the contaminations.
Other countries, including the United States, Japan, Taiwan and Italy, have this week reimposed restrictions on travelers from China, given the current epidemiological context. Canada is following in their footsteps.
“From the beginning, our government has taken the necessary measures to protect Canadians from the COVID-19 pandemic. Our interventions are dictated by caution, and we will not hesitate to adjust the measures to protect the health and ensure the safety of Canadians,” said Federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos.
Concerned by the rise in COVID-19 cases in China, the World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday urged Chinese officials to “carry out regular sharing of specific and real-time data on the epidemiological situation.”
