OTTAWA, ON – If you were planning on travelling outside of Canada for the holiday, you are being told not to.
The federal government is officially advising against non-essential international travel. Minister of Health, Jean-Yves Duclos says the federal government is asking Canadians to be cautious heading into the holiday and if you do not need to travel internationally “please do not.”
The advisory has been put in place to slow the spread of the new and highly transmissible COVID-19 Omicron variant.
“We see the situation abroad (with Omicron) and we are afraid and concerned with what could happen to Canadians who choose to be abroad in the next few weeks,” says Duclos. “The situation abroad is already dire in many places and it’s going to get worse very quickly. So, we are afraid for what could happen to them if they choose to travel. Once they’ve left Canada, there is very little we can do to help them.”
So far, the COVID-19 testing rules aren’t changing for travellers trying to enter the country but officials say that may change as they continue to assess the situation. If the requirements to enter the country change, officials say the public will be told immediately.
If the travel advisory will remain in place for the next four weeks.