Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino. (Image; CPAC video capture)
No move from the federal government to reinstate testing of travellers entering Canada in light of the new Omicron variant of COVID-19.
As of Tuesday, Canada removed the testing requirement if the trip to the United States is 72 hours or shorter.
Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said they are watching the presence of the new variant closely.
“This new variant of concern is a reason for us to take stock and inventory of where we are at relative to the pandemic, which is why we put in place the measures that we did last week,” said Mendicino.
Canada banned all foreign nationals who travelled to several African nations.
Canadians who return must test upon arrival and quarantine for 14 days.
Mendicino said federal officials will take their cue from public health officials.
“We will always reassess what is appropriate at the borders, and I think like all, we’re going to wait and see exactly where we are at with regards to this variant of concern,” he said.
