Government of Canada introduces additional measures to address COVID-19 Omicron variant of concern

by | Dec 6, 2021 | Immigration news

Government of Canada introduces additional measures to address COVID-19 Omicron variant of concern

On November 26, 2021, the World Health Organization classified B.1.1.529 as a variant of concern called Omicron. Since then it has been found in a number of countries and regions, including the confirmation of several travel-related cases in Canada.

That is why today, the Minister of Health, the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, the Minister of Transport, the Honourable Omar Alghabra, and the Honourable Marco Mendicino, Minister of Public Safety, announced additional border measures to reduce the risk of the importation and transmission of COVID-19 and its variants in Canada related to international travel.

Based on data from ongoing surveillance efforts and the latest public health advice, the Government of Canada is expanding the list of countries with entry prohibitions originally announced on November 26, 2021, to include Egypt, Nigeria and Malawi. Effective tomorrow, foreign nationals who have been in any of these countries within the previous 14 days will not be permitted entry into Canada:

  • Botswana
  • Egypt;
  • Eswatini;
  • Lesotho;
  • Malawi;
  • Mozambique;
  • Namibia;
  • Nigeria;
  • South Africa; and
  • Zimbabwe.

Canadian citizens, permanent residents and people with status under the Indian Act, regardless of their vaccination status or having had a previous history of testing positive for COVID-19, who have been in any of these 10 countries in the previous 14 days, will be subject to enhanced pre-entry and arrival testing, screening, and quarantine measures.

Moving forward, border testing surveillance will be adjusted based on the latest available evidence to further reduce the risk of importation of this variant. In the coming days, all fully vaccinated travellers arriving by air from departure points other than the United States will be subject to arrival testing. Fully vaccinated travellers will be required to quarantine while they await the results of their arrival test.

Unvaccinated travellers, with right of entry to Canada, will continue to be tested on arrival and day 8 and quarantine for 14 days. However, those arriving by air will now be required to stay in a designated quarantine facility or other suitable location while they await the result of their on arrival test.

The Government of Canada will continue to assess the evolving situation, monitor case data, and adjust border measures as required. The Government of Canada is working collaboratively with its provincial and territorial counterparts. While the impact of all variants continues to be monitored in Canada, vaccination in combination with public health and individual measures, is working to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and its variants.

“Our government continues to take unprecedented and swift action to protect the health and safety of Canadians as we introduce new robust, science-based measures to prevent COVID-19 variants of concern from being spread in Canada. The new requirements announced today are another layer of protection to to safeguard Canadians’ health.”

 

–The Honourable Omar Alghabra, Minister of Transport 

“While Canadians may be concerned about the most recent variant, be assured we will continue to enforce stringent measures at our borders to protect Canadians from COVID-19. Canada Border Services Agency officers will apply all measures deemed necessary to comply with entry requirements. I ask all Canadians to be patient as they wait to cross the border and check to ensure you have complied with all entry requirements before arriving at the Canadian border.”

 

– The Honourable Marco E. L. Mendicino, Minister of Public Safety

Quick Facts

  • Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and people with status under the Indian Act who have been in these countries—Botswana, Egypt, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zimbabwe—in the 14 days before travel to Canada will be required to:

    • Obtain, within 72 hours of departure, a valid negative COVID-19 molecular test in a third country before continuing their journey to Canada,
    • Complete testing upon arrival to Canada, regardless of their vaccination status or having had a previous history of testing positive for COVID-19,
    • Required to complete a test on Day 8 after arrival and quarantine for 14 days.
    • Those arriving by air will be required to stay in a designated quarantine facility while they await their arrival test result. They will be permitted onward travel once they have received a negative arrival test result.
    • Those arriving by land may be allowed to proceed directly to their suitable quarantine location. If they do not have a suitable and robust quarantine plan—where they will not have contact with anyone with whom they haven’t travelled with—or do not have private transportation to their place of quarantine, they will be directed to stay at a designated quarantine facility.  

  • There will be increased scrutiny of quarantine plans for travellers from these countries and rigorous monitoring to ensure travellers are complying with quarantine measures. Further, PHAC is contacting travellers, regardless of their vaccination status or having had a previous history of testing positive for COVID-19, who have entered Canada from these countries in the past 14 days to direct them to be tested and to quarantine while they wait for the results of those tests. 

Border measures for air travel

In response to concerns about the Omicron variant of concern, the Government of Canada implemented enhanced border measures to slow down possible importation of the Omicron variant into Canada.

Travellers entering Canada must follow the rules set out by the Emergency Orders under the Quarantine Act to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 and its variants. Failure to comply with any requirements or providing false information may result in fines, penalties or imprisonment.

Travellers arriving from countries with entry prohibitions

Foreign nationals who have been in the following countries – where there is an outbreak of, or risk of an outbreak of the Omicron variant – within the previous 14 days, will not be permitted entry into Canada:

  • Botswana
  • Egypt
  • Eswatini
  • Lesotho
  • Malawi
  • Mozambique
  • Namibia
  • Nigeria
  • South Africa
  • Zimbabwe

All other travellers, regardless of vaccination status, who have been in the countries listed above within the last 14 days, will be subject to immediate on arrival (Day 1) testing. They will also be required to complete a test on Day 8 after arrival, and quarantine for 14 days.

Travellers will be required to stay in a designated quarantine facility while they await their results of their on arrival (Day 1) test. They will only be permitted onward travel to where they will complete the rest of their quarantine once they have received a negative test result.

Travellers who have travelled to countries other than Canada or the United States in the past 14 days

All travellers who have been in a country – other than the United States, Canada, or one of the countries with entry prohibitions – will be subject to on arrival (Day 1) testing.

If selected, vaccinated travellers will be required to quarantine at their suitable place of quarantine until they receive a negative test result. If they test positive, they will need to isolate for 10 days.

All unvaccinated travellers, including travellers from the US, will continue to be tested on arrival (Day 1) and Day 8 and must quarantine for a full 14 days, regardless of the result of their Day 1 test.

Scenario 1: Vaccinated travellers who have been in countries with entry prohibitions in the past 14 days

All vaccinated travellers who have been in countries with entry prohibitions in the past 14 days are required to quarantine at a designated quarantine facility and take a Day 1 arrival COVID-19 test.

If the result of the Day 1 arrival test is positive, the traveller is required to isolate at a suitable location, which could be home or a designated quarantine facility for an additional 10 days.

If the result of the Day 1 arrival test is negative, the traveller is required to go to a suitable place of quarantine at home or stay at a designated quarantine facility and take a Day 8 COVID-19 test.

If the result of the Day 8 test is negative, the traveller’s quarantine ends on Day 14.

If the result of the Day 8 test is positive, the traveller must isolate for an additional 10 days.

Scenario 2: Unvaccinated travellers who have been in countries with entry prohibitions in the past 14 days

All unvaccinated travellers who have been in countries with entry prohibitions in the past 14 days are required to quarantine at a designated quarantine facility and take a Day 1 arrival COVID-19 test.

If the result of the Day 1 arrival test is positive, the traveller is required to isolate at a suitable location, which could be home or a designated quarantine facility for an additional 10 days.

If the result of the Day 1 arrival test is negative, the traveller is required to go to a suitable place of quarantine or stay at a designated quarantine facility and take a Day 8 COVID-19 test.

If the result of the Day 8 test is negative, the traveller’s quarantine ends on Day 14.

If the result of the Day 8 test is positive, the traveller must isolate for an additional 10 days.

Scenario 3: Vaccinated travellers who have travelled outside Canada or the United States within the past 14 days

Vaccinated travellers who have travelled outside Canada or the United States within the past 14 days are required to take a Day 1 COVID-19 arrival test and quarantine at home until Day 1 test results are received.

If the result of the Day 1 arrival test is positive, the traveller is required to isolate at home for an additional 10 days.

If the result of the Day 1 arrival test is negative, the traveller is released from quarantine.

Scenario 4: Unvaccinated travellers who have travelled outside Canada within the past 14 days

All unvaccinated travellers who travelled outside Canada within the past 14 days are required to take a Day 1 COVID-19 arrival test and quarantine at a suitable location, which could be home for 14 days.

If the result of the Day 1 arrival test is positive, the traveller is required to isolate at suitable location or a designated quarantine facility for an additional 10 days.

If the result of the Day 1 arrival test is negative, the traveller is required to quarantine at home and take a Day 8 COVID-19 test.

If the result of the Day 8 test is negative, the traveller’s quarantine ends on Day 14.

If the result of the Day 8 test is positive, the traveller must isolate for an additional 10 days.

Learn more at www.canada.ca

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