Thursday, May 16, 2024
ADVT 
National

Variant prompts ban on southern Africa visitors

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 26 Nov, 2021 03:23 PM
  • Variant prompts ban on southern Africa visitors

 Canada is closing its borders to visitors from southern Africa after the discovery of a concerning new COVID-19 variant was detected in the region.

The new variant, dubbed Omicron, first emerged in South Africa and coincided with a steep rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in that region in recent weeks, according to the World Health Organization.

"We are therefore acting quickly in order to protect the health and safety of Canadians," said Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos at a news conference Friday. 

So far there have been no cases detected in Canada. 

The ban will apply to foreign nationals who transited through a list of seven countries in the last 14 days, including South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Namibia and eSwatini.

Those already in Canada who recently travelled through the region will need to quarantine, and be tested for COVID-19.

Global Affairs is also issuing an advisory to discourage non-essential travel to South Africa and neighbouring countries. 

Canadian citizens and permanent residents arriving home from the region must get a COVID-19 test before they return, and will need to quarantine at a designated hotel until their entry test proves negative.

After that they will be able to isolate at home until they test negative 10 days after arrival. 

Currently there are no direct flights from southern Africa to Canada.

Travellers from elsewhere will need to comply with existing COVID-19 prevention measures to enter Canada, including presenting a negative molecular COVID-19 test, even if they are vaccinated. 

"We know very little about this variant right now," Canada's chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, said at a briefing Friday.

The mutations that have been detected show the potential for greater transmissibility, she said, and could reduce natural immunity and even the immunity offered by vaccines. 

"We are concerned about this new variant and closely monitoring the evolving situation," she said. 

Tam said she would not be surprised to see cases start to crop up in Canada, and Transportation Minister Omar Alghabra said the government will take additional border measures if necessary.

"This variant has a large number of mutations, some of which are concerning," the WHO wrote in a statement Friday.

"Preliminary evidence suggests an increased risk of reinfection with this variant, as compared to other (variants of concern.)"

Researchers are already working to learn more about the effects of this new variant, according to WHO's COVID-19 technical lead Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove.

"Researchers are getting together to understand where these mutations are, and what that potentially may mean for our diagnostics or therapeutics in our vaccines," she said at a briefing Thursday. 

The WHO has urged countries to enhance surveillance for variants and report any initial cases.

Vaccine manufacturers are also studying the effect of their products on the new variant. 

"Moderna is already studying two multivalent booster candidates in the clinic that were designed to anticipate mutations such as those that have emerged in the Omicron variant," the drug company said in a statement Friday.

Cases of the Omicron variant have been seen in countries outside of southern Africa, including Hong Kong, but so far Dr. Tam said there is no community spread in those areas.

Several countries have taken similar actions to Canada, closing their borders to foreign nationals who have recently been in southern Africa, which could make it difficult for Canadians to find their way home.

Alghabra urged any Canadians in that situation to reach out to Global Affairs. 

Opposition parties and provincial premiers have called for strict border measures to prevent cases of the potentially dangerous new variant from being imported into Canada.

Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole had called on the Canadian government to issue travel advisories, banning non-essential travel to and from the region earlier Friday morning.

"With reports of the spread of a new COVID-19 variant, we have a small window of opportunity to act, and we must move now," O'Toole said in a statement.

The party was critical when the government delayed closing Canada's borders at the outset of the pandemic in 2020.

MORE National ARTICLES

Flood leads to devastating loss for B.C. farm

Flood leads to devastating loss for B.C. farm
Tiffany de Leeuw says her in-laws realized the gravity of the disaster facing their farm on the Sumas Prairie when a field flooded in 30 minutes. She said her father-in-law and brother-in-law quickly set out with cattle trailers on the first day of the flooding to save animals boarding on the property while other relatives worked to build dikes to protect their third-generation farm.

Flood leads to devastating loss for B.C. farm

B.C. releasing plans for sick leave program

B.C. releasing plans for sick leave program
Labour Minister Harry Bains has scheduled a news conference with provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry about a permanent program on sick leave, which has been promised for January.

B.C. releasing plans for sick leave program

New hospital moves forward in Surrey

New hospital moves forward in Surrey
People in Surrey are a step closer to a new Surrey hospital and cancer centre with the issuing of the request for qualifications (RFQ). Through the RFQ process, Fraser Health will identify a short list of up to three qualified proponents who will be invited to participate in the next step of the competitive selection process, the request for proposal (RFP) stage.

New hospital moves forward in Surrey

No-surprise throne speech outlines Liberal agenda

No-surprise throne speech outlines Liberal agenda
A vote on the throne speech will be the first confidence test for the government, with the Liberals' survival dependent on the support of at least one opposition party.

No-surprise throne speech outlines Liberal agenda

Tories challenge mandatory vaccine rule for MPs

Tories challenge mandatory vaccine rule for MPs
Tory whip Blake Richards is asking the Commons Speaker, Anthony Rota, to rule that the the seven-member, multi-party body that governs the House does not have the authority to impose a vaccine mandate on all MPs.

Tories challenge mandatory vaccine rule for MPs

324 COVID19 cases for Tuesday

324 COVID19 cases for Tuesday
There are 3,047 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 210,478 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 345 individuals are in hospital and 115 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.

324 COVID19 cases for Tuesday