Canada imposes COVID-19 tests on travelers from China

Canada finally decided to follow in the United States’ footsteps on Saturday, requiring travelers from China, Hong Kong or Macau to submit to a screening test for Covid-19 before arriving.

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Enacted in response to the rapid spread of Covid-19 in the world’s most populous country, the new rule comes into effect from midnight on January 5.

After this date, only passengers with a negative screening test or those who can prove they have been infected with COVID-19 within 10 to 90 days of boarding the flight will be able to fly to Canada.

In addition to being concerned about the high number of cases spreading in China, Ottawa pointed to “the limited amount of epidemiologic and genetic sequence data related to the virus associated with these cases” to justify its decision. This lack of data may raise concerns that new variants of COVID-19, not yet identified or present in Canada, may spread with the arrival of travelers.

“Our interventions are dictated by caution, and we will not hesitate to protect health and ensure the safety of Canadians,” Canadian Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos commented in a press release.

For her part, her foreign affairs counterpart, Melanie Jolie, stressed that “COVID-19 is a threat that requires global cooperation.”

“The Canadian embassy in Beijing and embassies in China, as well as the Emergency Monitoring and Response Center in Ottawa, are ready to provide consular assistance to Canadians as needed,” the minister continued.

With this year-end announcement, Canada aligns itself with a similar decision by US officials. Starting January 5, the US will also require all travelers arriving from China, Hong Kong or Macau to submit to a screening test before departure.

Other European countries such as France and the United Kingdom have also imposed negative tests on travelers, while the European Union is due to meet on Wednesday to find a common solution.

China on December 7 abandoned its “zero Covid” policy since the pandemic began, which relied on strict quarantines once cases appeared. Since then, the health system has been overwhelmed with patients, while stocks of medical equipment and drugs have melted away.