The Canadian government said on Tuesday that its border control measures were effective as a travel ban with the US was extended.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau defended Ottawa’s protection efforts but warned that incoming flights from specific countries, such as India, could be banned.
The ban on non-essential travel between the US and Canada has been extended to at least May 21, as Canadian provinces are considering internal travel restrictions to stop a Covid-19 wave, including new variants of the disease.
“As cases increase and there are still concerns across the country, we will continue to do what is necessary – for as long as it takes – to keep the Canadians safe,” Bill Blair, Canada’s public security minister, said Tuesday. .
Canada’s top physician said more than 66,000 “variant care cases” have been reported across Canada. Most are the B.1.1.7 variant first seen in the UK.
“These are the tip of the iceberg, as there are still many thousands of Covid-19 cases that have screened positive for problematic mutations,” said Theresa Tam, head of public health, Tuesday.
Since the start of the pandemic, 1,131,773 cases of Covid-19, including 88,327 active cases, and 23,667 deaths have been reported in the country.
Canada has extensive restrictions on travelers flying into the country, requiring them to be tested for Covid-19 and undergo mandatory hotel quarantine.
In February, the Trudeau administration said that air passengers landing in Canada would be tested for Covid-19 and then undergo a three-day hotel quarantine at their own expense while they await the results. That is in addition to showing a negative coronavirus test before boarding.
Health Canada, a federal agency, said about 1 percent of air travelers test positive at a quarantine hotel.
The agency said 117 flights arrived at Canadian airports where at least one passenger tested positive, with 20 from the US. Another 24 were from Europe, while 29 were from Delhi.
British Columbia imposes travel restrictions within the province to ensure only essential travel between the province’s five health regions. “We are in a serious situation,” said John Horgan, the provincial prime minister.
Regardless, commercial truck drivers from Manitoba who regularly travel to the US can now get a shot in neighboring North Dakota.
The deal, which is believed to be the first cross-border vaccine deal, could eventually be extended to other key workers, such as healthcare providers.
“The US has many vaccines and Canada has fewer,” said Doug Burgum, governor of North Dakota, Tuesday. “We want to do our part to help those vital Canadian workers who regularly travel across our state.”