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November 26, 2021 – Federal government update on the COVID-19 pandemic

The following is an update on recent federal government decisions and actions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Omicron variant:  Five measures effective immediately

Minister of Health Jean Yves-Duclos and Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra announced that five measures were put in place today to address the rapid spread of new coronavirus variant B.1.1.529, also known as Omicron.

  1. A ban on entry into Canada for foreign nationals coming from or having transited through South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini and Namibia.
  2. Travellers having arrived in Canada within the past 14 days and having travelled to or transited through these countries must immediately self-quarantine and be tested for COVID-19. Quarantine and self-isolation should be maintained until a negative result is obtained.
  3. Canadians and permanent residents who have transited through or travelled to these areas will be tested upon arrival in Canada and will also be required to quarantine at their own expense until they test negative. Those who are declared negative will be able to continue to quarantine at home for 14 days, provided they get tested again on the eighth day of their isolation period.
  4. Travel advisories will be issued by Global Affairs Canada to warn travellers not to travel to Southern Africa until further notice.
  5. Canadians or permanent residents returning from one of these destinations and transiting through another country (stopover) will need to be tested in that country before boarding a plane bound for Canada.

The duration of these measures has not yet been determined.

“We’re doing this to make sure we’re as cautious as possible, as we have been throughout the COVID-19 crisis. We will continue to assess the situation with the help of scientists, of course,” Jean-Yves Duclos said.