The federal government will require travellers from China, Hong Kong, and Macao to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test before flying to Canada starting on Jan. 5.
With China experiencing a surge in COVID-10 cases, the World Health Organization has been urging the country’s authorities to be more forthcoming with data about the situation, including genetic sequencing data, as well as information on hospitalizations and deaths. Official figures from China on the disease are seen as unreliable.
Ottawa’s response in the face of skyrocketing cases in China is much different compared to the initial days of the novel coronavirus outbreak in 2020, when Canada refused to impose travel restrictions on China as peer countries were doing so, a move that was praised by Beijing.
Canada’s new testing requirement for travellers from China applies to all passengers age 2 years and older. Prior to boarding a plane to Canada, passengers are required to present a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than two days before the flight. Passengers who tested positive more than 10 days before departing, but no more than 90 days, can instead provide the airline documentation of their prior positive test result.
The requirement applies to all travellers departing from China, Hong Kong, and Macao, regardless of nationality. The measure will be in place for 30 days, and reassessed “as more data and evidence becomes available,” PHAC says.
The health agency says it is also launching a pilot project to test the wastewater of planes at the Vancouver International Airport, and extending an existing project at the Toronto Pearson International Airport, to assess the prevalence of COVID-19 from different parts of the world. The samples will be analyzed to monitor developments of any new variants of concern.
“Our actions continue to be guided by prudence and we will not hesitate to adjust measures to protect the health and safety of Canadians,” Minister of Health Jean-Yves Duclos said in a statement.
Other cabinet ministers made similar statements.
“We will adapt our measures based on available data, the science, and the epidemiological situation in our country and globally to protect Canadians,” Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra said.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly said “global cooperation” is needed to deal with COVID-19, and added that Canadians in China can seek help from Canada’s embassy and consulates if needed.
“The Embassy of Canada in Beijing and consulates in China, as well as the Emergency Watch and Response Centre in Ottawa, stand ready to provide consular assistance to Canadians, as needed,” she said in a statement.
