Ontario Premier Doug Ford thanked the federal authorities for implementing new journey restrictions in a bid to cease the unfold of the Omicron COVID-19 variant and stated extra discussions shall be held about probably increasing new testing guidelines to travellers from the USA.
Ford made the remarks at an unrelated press convention in Mississauga Wednesday morning.
A number of Omicron variant instances have already been confirmed in Ontario, and Ford stated whereas it’s a “trigger for concern” it’s “not trigger for panic.”
“Day by day we maintain off extra instances coming into our nation, the extra time we’ve to study and put together,” Ford stated.
Learn extra:
Canada expands journey ban, seeks booster steerage
“So one of the best factor we are able to do proper now could be fortify our borders. Our greatest defence is preserving the variant out of our nation. We welcome the actions from the federal authorities and I need to thank the feds for taking motion so far.
“We implored them final week to behave shortly and be decisive on the borders and so they did.”
In a press release final Friday, Ford known as on the federal authorities to enact journey bans on “international locations of concern” and the feds adopted by way of simply hours later.
On Tuesday, they expanded that ban to a few further international locations.
Federal Well being Minister Jean-Yves Duclos stated overseas nationals from Nigeria, Malawi and Egypt who’ve been to these international locations over the previous two weeks won’t be able to enter Canada. This added to the seven different African international locations barred by Canada on Friday: South Africa, Mozambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho and Eswatini.
Canadians and everlasting residents, in addition to all those that have the precise to return to Canada, who’ve transited by way of these international locations over the previous two weeks, should quarantine, be examined on the airport, and await their take a look at outcomes earlier than exiting quarantine, Duclos stated.
It was additionally introduced that every one air travellers coming into Canada — excluding these coming from the USA — must get examined after they arrive and isolate till they obtain a unfavorable consequence. That measure applies to all travellers, no matter vaccination standing.
Duclos stated Wednesday that it’s going to take time to implement the brand new measure.
In his assertion final week, Ford additionally known as for point-of-arrival testing to be put in place.
He additionally stated he suggested the province’s chief medical officer and Public Well being Ontario to “instantly implement expanded surveillance” and replace planning to “guarantee we’re prepared for any final result.”
The Omicron variant has now been detected in lots of international locations all over the world, together with, as of Wednesday, the USA.
Ford was requested if he would help increasing the brand new testing guidelines to these arriving from the States.
“I’d all the time help something that may be cautious to forestall this variant coming into our nation. So, once more we’ll have a dialogue with the federal authorities. That’s their jurisdiction, it’s not ours,” Ford stated.
“They work collaboratively with all of the provinces and territories and I’m all the time for going the cautious route as I feel individuals have seen over the past 20 months.”
The premier added that “it doesn’t take a lot to get a take a look at on the airport.”
Federal Transport Minister Omar Alghabra stated Wednesday that it’s too early to say whether or not Canada’s newest requirement to check arriving air travellers shall be prolonged to incorporate these coming from the USA.
“We should be ready and prepared if we have to modify that call to incorporate travellers from the U.S. We haven’t made that call but,” he stated.
Learn extra:
Feds, provinces contemplating increasing COVID-19 assessments for U.S. travellers amid Omicron
When requested what provincial measures are being thought-about in response to the Omicron variant, Ford stated they are going to be certain that there may be expanded testing capability and get in touch with tracing.
Well being Minister Christine Elliott stated there may be nonetheless a lot that isn’t identified in regards to the variant, together with how efficient vaccines are towards it.
She stated the province is “persevering with with all of our precautions” and stated it’s vital to maintain border restrictions in place till extra is understood in regards to the variant.
Elliott additionally stated extra info shall be launched within the coming days “with respect to age classes” on booster pictures.
— With information from Saba Aziz and The Canadian Press
View hyperlink »
© 2021 World Information, a division of Corus Leisure Inc.
