Canada’s new Omicron travel guidelines

Canadian officials tightened travel restrictions once the Omicron strain was discovered. Here’s how you might be impacted

 Following the discovery of the Omicron strain, Canada imposed a series of new travel restrictions.

Last Monday, travellers from ten African countries were subjected to new restrictions. Botswana, Egypt, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zimbabwe are among the countries affected. Foreign nationals who have recently visited any of these countries are not permitted to enter Canada.

The new rules apply to Canadian residents and citizens who travel to or from these countries. In order to return home, they must take a COVID-19 test in a third nation. There is presently a temporary mechanism in place that allows Canadians to get checked in South Africa, which is one of the nations with immigration restrictions.

The resolution in council preventing particular countries from arriving In Canada is in effect until January 31, 2022, at the earliest. Only Canadian citizens and permanent residents of these nations are allowed to enter, although they must still adhere to strict health regulations.

In addition, with the exception of the United States, Canada restored on-arrival testing and quarantine for all travellers. Travellers who have been fully vaccinated must take a test upon arrival and remain quarantined at home until the results are received.

We’d like to make it as simple as possible for you to review the new guidelines before making travel plans to Canada. The minister of transportation provides several flow charts that show the revised protocols for inbound travellers.

Before you start your visit

Incoming travellers can use an online tool on the Canadian government’s website to see if they are allowed into the country. This online tool does not ensure that you will be admitted. The final decision on whether or not you can go to Canada will be made by the border officer.

Regardless of whether you’ve been vaccinated, you’ll need a 14-day isolation plan in case the investigator decides you need to self-isolate.

All passengers aged five and up must show documentation of a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of departure or entry at a land border crossing. If you have a conclusive result, it must be somewhere around 14 and 180 days old.

To be considered completely vaccinated, you must have received the full prescribed amount of one or more of the following vaccines:

• Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty, tozinameran, BNT162b2)
• Moderna (Spikevax, mRNA-1273)
• AstraZeneca (Vaxzevria, COVISHIELD, ChAdOx1-S, AZD1222)
• Janssen/Johnson & Johnson (Ad26.COV2.S)
• Bharat Biotech (Covaxin, BBV152 A, B, C)
• Sinopharm BIBP (BBIBP-CorV)
• Sinovac (CoronaVac, PiCoVacc)

For Canadians from the ten nations affected

Travellers who have been vaccinated in the nations will need to be tested when they arrive. Those who test positive at the airport will have to quarantine themselves at home or in a facility. They can quarantine at home or at an approved quarantine centre if they test negative. They must then produce a test on day eight. They can end their quarantine at day 14 if the test is negative. If it’s positive, they’ll have to stay in isolation for another ten days.

The same regulations will apply to those who are not vaccinated and coming from the blacklisted nations.

Vaccinated visitors from other countries, excluding the United States

Travellers from nations other than the United States and the ten African countries banned from entering the country will be required to take an arrival exam. They will be quarantined at home until their results are received. They can be removed from quarantine if their test is negative. They must quarantine for 10 days if the test is positive.

For unvaccinated visitors arriving from countries other than the United States

Unvaccinated visitors who are permitted to enter Canada will face the same restrictions as those from blacklisted nations. On arrival, they must take a test and be quarantined for 14 days. Even if their on-arrival test is negative, they must still complete the rest of the quarantine and provide a test on day 8. If their day 8 test is negative, their quarantine will expire on day 14. If it’s positive, they’ll have to isolate for another ten days.