Canada Warns Citizens Against International Travel as COVID-19 Cases Rise

A rise in COVID-19 cases is again causing concern among Canadian government officials.

Canadian officials on Wednesday asked its citizens to avoid non-essential international travel due to the continued spread of the Omicron variant.

Canada is reportedly installing the advisory for four weeks due to Omicron, advising travelers that those who do travel risk being unable to come home or contracting the virus overseas.

“If you do not have to travel internationally, please do not,” Federal Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs Dominic LeBlanc said on Wednesday.

According to Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, Canada is expecting a resurgence of COVID-19 cases, a reality what “we must adjust to.” Duclos said the goal with the advisory is to “avoid overloading our hospital system and health care workers.” While the expectation is that the advisory will get lifted in four weeks, other restrictions could be added in the coming days. 

Canada expects to boost testing measures at the borders, too. An increase in its capacity to test at airports and at the borders is expected to be unveiled soon. Currently, inbound international travelers are subject to random testing.

The land border also remains open with no testing requirement for those crossing if their trip is shorter than 72 hours and they are fully vaccinated. 

At the same time, the federal government is sending more rapid tests and boosters to provinces in order to combat the spread.

According to Worldometers, Canada recorded 5,801 new daily cases on Wednesday, the highest daily case level since September. 

Story updating.