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Canada has extended the travel ban for all聽direct聽passenger and business flights from India and Pakistan for another 30 days, until June 21, 2021.
The travel聽ban聽first went into place on April 22聽for 30 days, until聽May 22.
Cargo flights carrying vaccines and protective equipment聽will continue to be allowed聽into聽Canada.
Passengers may still be able to come to Canada. They will have to do so via an indirect route, and will need to get a test from their last point of departure.
The news was confirmed by Omar聽Alghabra, Canada鈥檚 transport minister, at a government pandemic briefing on聽May 21.
鈥淚 can say that we鈥檝e seen a significant reduction in the number of positive cases of COVID-19 arriving from international flights since this restriction was put in place,鈥澛燗lghabra聽said.
Air Canada extended the flight ban to India last week, expecting the government鈥檚 announcement. The airline does not fly to Pakistan.
Canada concerned about variant
Canada鈥檚 deputy chief public health officer Dr. Howard Njoo reiterated the importance of the travel restrictions in place, saying that about 70 per cent of new COVID-19 cases are variants of concern.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important to have these measures in place, and we recognize that although importation of variants is a small part of what鈥檚 happening with respect to the situation in Canada, anything we can do in terms of that added layer is important at this time,鈥� Njoo said.
The Indian variant is called B.1.6.1.7. Between February 22 and May 6, 279 passengers tested positive for聽this new variant. There may also be community transmission within Canada. This is according to data from the Public Health Agency Canada (PHAC).
Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada鈥檚 chief public health officer had said that this variant shows increased transmissibility.
On Monday, India surpassed 300,000 deaths related to COVID-19. This is the third highest death toll in the world.聽The country also announced 222,315 new COVID-19 cases, bringing聽its聽total to almost 27 million since the pandemic began. This is the second highest, after the U.S.
India has the second聽largest聽population in the world, with over 1.3 billion people.
In addition, a rare but fatal fungal infection began affecting COVID-19 patients in India, and has worried doctors.
What do travellers need to know?
International聽travellers聽coming to Canada聽need to聽present聽proof of a聽COVID-19 test.聽The test must be聽taken within 72 hours聽before聽travelling to Canada, whether聽travelling聽by air or by land.聽Travellers聽by air聽are also required to take another test upon arrival in Canada.
Those travelling from India or Pakistan, need to have taken their COVID-19 test at a third country.
Air聽travellers聽must then quarantine at a聽government-approved hotel for three days while they wait for their results. After they are cleared, they are still required to continue their 14-day quarantine.聽The聽three day聽hotel stay counts towards the mandatory 14 days.
On the eighth day of their quarantine period, they will be required to once again take a COVID-19 test.
Compassionate travellers may apply to be released early from quarantine to attend a funeral, or to care for a loved one.
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