Officials announced on Wednesday that Canada will require air travelers to submit a negative COVID-19 test to enter the country.
Travelers arriving in Canada by plane will have to get a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test within 72 hours of boarding the plane, which Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc said will likely be in place within a week. Reported by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Canada is currently imposing a 14-day quarantine on those entering the country, which is Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said at a news conference that he would not be affected by the new restrictions.
« This is not a substitute for quarantine, it is an extra layer, » Blair was quoted by CBC as saying.
Blair also responded to calls from some to reduce the 14-day quarantine period, saying: « At the moment we should only think of testing as an additional layer of defense against disease, » according to Yahoo News. He cited the state as « Canada’s most effective line of defense to keep disease out of Canada. »
Disobeying the quarantine period could lead to up to six months in prison or up to $ 750,000 in fines.
The network indicated that Transport Minister Marc Garneau is expected to reveal more details about the test requirements on Thursday. Blair announced that Ottawa was exploring testing at land entry points into the country.
The country has also banned all flights from the UK amid the outbreak of a new strain of COVID-19 that is estimated to be more contagious, although Canada has It has already been confirmed Cases of emotion within its limits.
The restrictions will also follow Ontario Prime Minister Doug Ford’s conviction of his finance minister on the French island of St.Barts during the holidays. Ford described the trip as « unacceptable » as the government required people to avoid unnecessary travel. The Associated Press reported.
