Feds Say 'The Pandemic Is Not Over' & They Have Advice For People Travelling For The Holidays

If you’re planning to travel during the upcoming holidays, the federal government has some advice following a number of updates to Canada’s travel restrictions.

On December 5, Federal Transport Minister Omar Alghabra spoke to CTV’s Question Period about whether Canadians should avoid travel due to the new Omicron variant of COVID-19.

“Look, I realize there is a lot of anxiety,” Alghabra said on Sunday. “There’s the holiday season [...] coming up and people are considering what to do and whether to travel or not.”

He went on to say that while he would like to be able to share “a comforted, confident, 100% clear answer” about whether Canadians can travel for Christmas, there is no one-size-fits-all response.

“My advice to Canadians is that things are fluid. The pandemic is not over and they should really follow public health advice,” he said.

He urged all Canadians, regardless of their holiday plans, to get fully vaccinated against COVID-19, check travel advisories and research the restrictions at the countries they want to visit.

“Right now, the situation is very fluid and I want Canadians to be safe wherever they are.”

His comments come just days after the federal government made several updates to Canada’s travel measures, in response to concerns about the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

This includes implementing an entry ban on foreign nationals who have recently been in a number of countries, as well as ramping up testing and quarantine measures for incoming air passengers.

Alghabra went on to say the government is not acting out of panic, but instead is being “cautious.”

“It’s better to be safe than sorry,” he said, adding that the move is likely to be better for Canadians’ health and the economy in the long term.

He admitted that the progressive approach for the implementation of the new rules will “add a level of inconvenience” to travellers and employees in the travel industry, and said people should “expect delays” at airports, too.

At the weekend, Toronto Pearson revealed that they are not in a position to test all incoming travellers just yet, as the government “needs more time to put the infrastructure in place."

However, the airline told Narcity that random testing of inbound international travellers has ramped up.