Following a wave of infections, the United States announcement new COVID-19 testing requirements for all travelers entering from China – but Canada has not said whether it will impose a similar policy.
“Travelers continue to be advised to maintain enhanced health precautions and follow public health measures at their points of entry,” a spokesperson for the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) said Wednesday. in an email to CTVNews.ca. “Any further updates will be communicated to travelers through a travel health notice.”
The spokesperson also said PHAC “continues to monitor and assess the global epidemiology of COVID-19 for the health and safety of Canadians.”
Starting Jan. 5, all travelers to the United States from China will be required to take a COVID-19 test no more than two days before travel, with negative test results required before boarding flights.
Other countries have also imposed measures to prevent infections from spreading beyond China’s borders. Japan requires a negative COVID-19 test on arrival for travelers from China, and Malaysia will implement tracking and monitoring measures. Taiwan, South Korea and India are also requiring COVID-19 tests for travelers departing from China.
While Canada has yet to announce such preventive measures, PHAC said it will continue to closely monitor the COVID-19 situation in China, “including genomic sequencing data and potential impacts of circulating variants on public health”.
PHAC added that “individuals in Canada planning to travel internationally should complete a series of COVID-19 vaccines, as well as any additional doses recommended in Canada, at least 14 days prior to travel.”
With files from CTVNews.ca editor Megan DeLaire
“Travel aficionado. Twitter scholar. Writer. Extreme coffee guru. Evil pop culture fanatic.”