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Canada ban direct flights from India and Pakistan for 30 days to help control the spread of new variants of COVID-19.
The restriction, which will take effect Thursday at 11:30 p.m. Ottawa time, took place during a virtual press conference with five ministers. The move comes after India saw the world’s largest increase in coronavirus cases in a single day, with 314 thousand 835 new infections.
Public health experts fear that a more contagious strain of the virus could spread across the country of 1.3 billion people. Countries from Singapore to UK have banned flights from India due to the worsening situation.
Some Canadian provinces have already recorded cases of the Indian variant. Health Minister Patty Hajdu said India accounted for 20% of recent air travel volumes to Canada, but more than 50% of all positive tests taken at the border.
“Given the increased number of COVID-19 cases detected among air passengers arriving in Canada from India and Pakistan, Transport Canada is issuing a Notice to Airmen, or NOTAM, stop direct air traffic of passengers from these countriesSaid Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra.
With a third wave of cases threatening to overwhelm hospitals in major Canadian cities, pressure has increased on the Prime Minister. Justin trudeau to take action. On Thursday, the leaders of Ontario and Quebec, the country’s two most populous provinces, called on Trudeau to further tighten the rules for travelers at the air and land borders. Opposition politicians have also pressured the government to stop international flights from coronavirus hot spots.
“Currently there are no flights from Brazil, but we will not hesitate to ban travel from other countries if science confirms it,” Alghabra said. “This virus is neither Chinese nor Indian. It concerns us all ”.
“In light of the increased number of COVID-19 cases detected among air passengers arriving in Canada from India and Pakistan, Transport Canada is issuing an advisory to airlines to stop direct passenger air traffic by from these countries, ”said Transport Minister Omar Alghabra. .
As a third wave threatens to overwhelm hospitals in major Canadian cities, pressure is mounting for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to act. On Thursday, the leaders of Ontario and Quebec, the country’s two most populous provinces, called on Trudeau to further toughen the rules for travelers at the air and land borders. Opposition politicians have also pressured the government to stop international flights from major coronavirus hotspots.
“Currently there are no flights from Brazil, but we will not hesitate to ban travel from other countries if science confirms it,” Alghabra said. “This virus is neither Chinese nor Indian. It concerns us all ”.
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