Canada expands Covid testing for travelers from China | World news
Canada has extended by two months the testing requirements related to Covid-19 on air passengers arriving from China due in part to “limited epidemiological data available from China.”
The announcement of the extension of specific measures to China, Hong Kong and Macao, originally made on January 5, was made by the Public Health Agency of Canada or PHAC on Wednesday.
These health measures, including temporary testing requirements and arrival screening, will remain in place until April 4.
A release from PHAC said this action was predicated on “continued reports of a dramatic increase in Covid-19 cases in China since the lifting of restrictions”. He also said that “limited epidemiologic data are available from China, with respect to histopathology and differences of concern.”
“Despite the data provided by China so far, ongoing gaps in data availability are a major concern,” the agency added.
He also said that other things being considered are “the potential impact of China’s opening on Canada’s health care system” and “the responses of partner countries and international organizations.”
Travelers, aged two years and older, arriving on flights from China, Hong Kong or Macao, will be required to provide proof of a negative Covid-19 test result, taken without more than two days before their departure, to an earlier flight. wearing Canadian authorities will accept either a negative molecular test, such as RT-PCR, or a negative antigen test, if the latter is documented to show that it has been administered by a telecommunications service or an accredited agency or testing provider.
In addition, passengers with a positive test more than 10 days before their departure flight, but not more than 90 days, can provide the flight with a document of their previous positive, in place of a negative test result.
Airlines must receive a negative Covid-19 test result, or a document of a positive test result obtained within 10-90 days prior to the passenger’s flight, otherwise the passenger will be refused.
Canada dropped Covid-related border controls on October 1 last year.
PHAC described the extension as a “precautionary measure.” There is no major winter surgery in Covid-19 cases in the country despite the presence of Omicron sub-species.
According to the updated data as of January 30, 11029 new cases were reported last week, with a positive rate of 12.3%. There were also 229 deaths.
