The Public Health Agency of Canada is “carefully monitoring” what is happening in China with COVID-19, but is not following suit in the United States, which will require visitors arriving from China to be tested screening for the virus before their flight.
According to the federal agency, any changes to the rules currently in effect will be made via a “Travel Health Notice”, which allows it to inform Canadian travelers of the health risks.
“Level 2” advisories are already in effect for all countries, including China, due to the pandemic, which means travelers should “take special health precautions when traveling abroad”.
“The Public Health Agency of Canada continues to monitor and assess the global epidemiology of COVID-19 for the health and safety of Canadians. Travelers are still advised to maintain enhanced health precautions and follow public health measures at their points of entry. Any further updates will be communicated to travelers through a travel health notice,” the federal agency said in a statement to The Canadian Press.
The agency stresses that it may be more prudent to wear a mask, avoid activities conducive to virus transmission, or even postpone travel altogether if possible.
An additional notice, also of “level 2”, was also published on December 23 in anticipation of the Chinese New Year, the festivities of which will take place at the end of January. This event is likely to draw large crowds in China, which will increase the chances of spreading COVID-19 and other diseases, the notice read.
The note also recalls that “China has recently lifted many of its COVID-19 restrictions”, which could lead to a further increase in cases of the virus in the country.
In a statement, the Public Health Agency said it is monitoring genomic sequencing data and the impact of COVID-19 on public health in China.
“BF.7, a sub-variant of Omicron, has spread in China. In Canada, nationally, BF.7 has been detected for a few months and is estimated to account for 5% to 8% of positive cases as of December 17, 2022. Its rate of progression has slowed to less than 3% per day compared to other Omicron sublines. Under current Canadian conditions, Omicron’s BQ sublines are more likely to spread rapidly than BF.7,” the federal agency explains in its statement.
The United States announced on Wednesday that it will impose new border restrictions on travelers arriving from China due to the upsurge in cases.
As of January 5, travelers from China will be required to take a COVID-19 test no later than 48 hours before their trip and provide a negative result before boarding the plane.
In a statement, the US Centers for Infectious Disease Control and Prevention cited the surge in infections and what it said was a lack of adequate and transparent information from China to explain the addition of this measure. .
China, which until recently had a “zero COVID” policy, suddenly began to withdraw all its sanitary measures in recent weeks, which led to a meteoric rise in outbreaks and new cases.
The rapid increase in community transmission of the virus in the country has led to overstretched health systems, which are overwhelmed in both emergency rooms and funeral homes.
— With information from The Associated Press