Flights connecting Canada to India and Pakistan will be prohibited until 21st June.

The travel restriction on all direct tourist and commercial flights from India and Pakistan has been prolonged by Canada for the next 30 days, until 21st June 2021.

The travel ban was implemented on 22nd April for a period of 30 days, ending on 22nd May.

Medicines and protective gear will remain to be transported on cargo aeroplanes into Canada.

It’s possible that passengers will still be able to travel to Canada. They’ll have to do it in a roundabout way, requiring a COVID-19 test at their last starting point.

At an official pandemic brief on 21st May, Canada’s transport minister, Omar Alghabra, verified the information.

“I can say that we’ve seen a significant reduction in the number of positive cases of COVID-19 arriving from international flights since this restriction was put in place,” Alghabra said.

Last Monday, Air Canada prolonged the flight restriction to India, anticipating a governmental declaration. Pakistan is not served by the airline.

Canada is concerned about a possible variant.

Dr. Howard Njoo, Canada’s deputy chief public health officer, emphasized the urgency of the travel bans, stating that around 70% of new COVID-19 cases are variants of risk.

“It’s important to have these measures in place, and we recognize that although the importation of variants is a small part of what’s happening with respect to the situation in Canada, anything we can do in terms of that added layer is important at this time,” Njoo said.

B.1.6.1.7 is the name of the Indian variation. 279 passengers examined positive for this new strain between the end of February and the beginning of May. In Canada, there could also be community transmissions. As per statistics from the Public Health Agency of Canada, this is the case.

This variation has increased virulence, according to Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer.

This week, India passed the 300,000-death mark as a result of the pandemic. That is the third-largest highest death toll across the globe. In addition, the country reported 222,315 additional COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of cases to nearly 27 million since the outbreak began. 

Furthermore, a rare but lethal fungal infection has started to impact COVID-19 sufferers in India, which has doctors concerned.

What should travellers be aware of?

International visitors arriving in Canada must provide documentation of a COVID-19 exam. The examination must be completed within 72 hours after arriving in Canada; it does not depend on the mode of travel. Air travellers must additionally take another exam once they arrive in the country.

Those coming from India/Pakistan must have completed the COVID-19 assessment in a third nation.

After that, air travellers must be quarantined for three days at a government-authorized residence while awaiting their findings. They must continue their 14-day quarantine even after they have been cleared. The three-day hotel accommodation is included in the required 14-day stay.

They will be compelled to undergo another COVID-19 test on the eighth day of their quarantine term.

Travellers who are compassionate may seek to be relieved from quarantine early in order to attend a funeral or caring for a close someone.