Canada's Travel Restrictions Are Being Updated Once Again Due To The Omicron Variant

The federal government has revealed that Canada's travel restrictions will be updated once again, in response to rising concerns about the new Omicron variant.

In a press conference on Tuesday, November 30, officials announced three "immediate measures" which aim to prevent the spread of the new variant.

Now, three additional countries have been added to the list of places where passengers will face restrictions related to travelling to Canada. Nigeria, Malawi and Egypt have joined South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho and Eswatini.

Foreign nationals who have travelled to any of those three newly added countries in the 14 days prior to travel will not be permitted to enter Canada.

Those who have recently travelled to South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho and Eswatini will also be banned from entering Canada, as announced on November 26.

Also as of November 30, all air travellers entering Canada from a country other than the U.S. must take a COVID-19 test at the airport they land in, regardless of their vaccination status.

Those passengers must then self-isolate until a negative test result is received.

Unvaccinated travellers must continue to test and quarantine as usual.

Canadian citizens and permanent residents who've been to any of the 10 countries, even if they are fully vaccinated, must be tested before entering Canada.

Travellers will no longer be permitted to take COVID-19 tests in any of the 10 countries listed. Instead, they are required to get tested in a third country before coming to Canada.

Upon arrival, they will be tested again before being required to wait in a designated quarantine facility until their results are known. If it’s negative, fully vaccinated individuals will be able to isolate at home until their day eight test comes back negative.

Those who are unvaccinated must remain in a quarantine facility until day eight.

Officials also confirmed that they’re prepared to extend this measure further, to include all travellers entering Canada via land and air. This possible extension would include those coming from the United States.

"We're reminding Canadians that travel rules and border rules can always change," Jean-Yves Duclos, the federal minister of health, said during the conference.

These new restrictions come just days after the federal government announced initial changes to travel rules in relation to the "new, faster-spreading variant of concern [that] has been detected in southern Africa."

As of November 30, Canada's national vaccine passport for travel has also come into effect, which prevents unvaccinated and partially vaccinated passengers from boarding planes and federally-regulated trains.