The Canadian government said on Tuesday that its border controls were effective as a travel ban with the US was extended.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau defended Ottawa’s protection efforts, but warned that incoming flights from specific countries, such as India, could be banned.
The ban on non-essential travel between the US and Canada has been extended until at least May 21, as Canadian provinces view internal travel routes as a surge of Covid-19, including new variants of the disease, stop.
“As business grows and varieties of concern emerge across the country, we will continue to do what is necessary – as long as it lasts – to keep Canadians safe,” Canada’s Secretary of State Bill Blair said on Tuesday. said.
Canada’s leading doctor said more than 66,000 ‘cases of concern’ had been reported across Canada. Most are the B.1.1.7 variant first seen in the UK.
“This is the tip of the iceberg, as there are still thousands of cases of Covid-19 that have been positively screened for problematic mutations,” Theresa Tam, head of public health officials, said Tuesday.
Since the onset of the pandemic, there have been 1,131,773 cases of Covid-19, including 88,327 active cases, and 23,667 deaths in the country.
Canada has expanded restrictions on travelers to the country requiring them to be tested for Covid-19 and subject to mandatory hotel quarantine.
In February, the Trudeau government said air passengers landing in Canada would be tested for Covid-19 and then have to undergo a three-day hotel quarantine, at their own expense, while awaiting results. This is in addition to a negative coronavirus test before you board.
Health Canada, a federal agency, said about 1 percent of air travelers test positive in a quarantine hotel.
The agency said 117 flights arrived at Canadian airports, in which at least one passenger tested positive, with 20 from the US. Another 24 come from Europe, while 29 are from Delhi.
British Columbia is imposing travel restrictions within the province to ensure only essential travel between the province’s five health regions. “We are in a serious situation,” said John Horgan, the provincial prime minister.
Separately, commercial truck drivers from Manitoba who travel to the U.S. regularly can now get a stab in adjacent North Dakota.
The agreement, presumably the first such cross-border vaccine agreement, could eventually extend to other essential workers such as healthcare providers.
“The U.S. has a lot of vaccines and Canada has fewer,” North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum said Tuesday. “We want to do our part to help essential workers from Canada who travel regularly through our state.”