Ottawa to require destructive COVID-19 check from travellers from China

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Ottawa plans to quickly require individuals flying from China, Hong Kong and Macao to check destructive for COVID-19 earlier than leaving for Canada, starting in early January.

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The federal authorities says in a Saturday information launch that the requirement will apply to all air travellers age two and older from the three international locations and can start on Jan. 5 at 12:01 a.m. EST.

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The federal government says the measure is “in response to the surge of COVID-19 within the Individuals’s Republic of China and given the restricted epidemiological and viral genomic sequence information obtainable on these instances.”

It says individuals might want to present a destructive COVID-19 check outcome to the airline, taken not more than two days earlier than their departure, earlier than boarding a flight to Canada.

The discharge says the check could be both molecular, equivalent to a PCR check, or an antigen check from a telehealth service or an accredited laboratory or testing supplier.

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The federal authorities says passengers who examined optimistic greater than 10 days earlier than their flight leaves, however no more than 90 days, can present the airline with proof of their optimistic check as an alternative.

It says the measure, which can apply no matter vaccination standing, can be in place for 30 days and can be reassessed as extra information and proof turns into obtainable.

Adrian Dix, British Columbia’s minister of well being, says he welcomes the measure by Ottawa “to guard Canadians from COVID-19.”