In a statement released late Wednesday afternoon, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) confirmed that Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, Transport Minister Omar Alghabra and Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance, Randy Boissonnault, along with other government officials, will hold a news conference on Thursday, 10.30 a.m. ET, to announce updates to border measures.
Currently, travellers entering Canada are required to present proof of a negative COVID-19 antigen test taken within 24 hours of their flight or arrival at the country’s border.
3:27 Federal government to announce end of pre-arrival COVID-19 tests
Federal government to announce end of pre-arrival COVID-19 tests
They also have the option to provide a PCR test taken within 72 hours of their flight or arrival.
The move comes as tourism and business groups have been calling on the federal government to remove COVID-19 testing requirements for fully vaccinated international travellers.
The measure is no longer necessary at this point in the pandemic, they say.
“Businesses are becoming more confident that we are past the need to rely on restrictive measures like lockdowns to manage the virus,” said Lindsay Broadhead, the senior vice-president of communications and public affairs at the Toronto Region Board of Trade, during a press conference last week.
“Travel and tourism are massive economic drivers in our province and many businesses in Toronto and across the country depend on international travellers, particularly business travellers,” Broadhead said.
5:22 Easing of travel restrictions signals a new pandemic phase
Easing of travel restrictions signals a new pandemic phase – Feb 28, 2022
Nancy Tudorache from the Global Business Travel Association agreed.
“The current travel measures in place are a barrier to travel. These measures simply do not permit flexibility or schedule changes,” Tudorache said.
“They add tremendous uncertainty, they hurt corporate productivity, create financial burdens for businesses looking to send their employees into Canada or returning back to Canada.”
3:03 Travel industry, tourists welcome elimination of COVID-19 testing to enter Canada
Travel industry, tourists welcome elimination of COVID-19 testing to enter Canada
At the end of February, Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos announced that those coming to Canada would be able to present a negative rapid-antigen test at the border as a substitute to a more costly and time-consuming molecular test.
2:50 Some COVID-19 travel measures being eased at border
Some COVID-19 travel measures being eased at border – Feb 28, 2022
He said, at the time, that he would consider easing COVID-19 travel restrictions further if the epidemiological situation continued to get better, hospitalizations declined and Canadians continued to get their booster shots.
He also said the government would move away from strict restrictions now that Canada has more tools to deal with the pandemic.
Over the last several weeks, Canada’s grip on COVID-19 cases has been improving, but the World Health Organization (WHO) says rates have begun to creep up in various parts of the world.
New infections jumped by eight per cent globally compared to the previous week, with 11 million new cases and just over 43,000 new deaths reported from March 7-13, the WHO said Wednesday. It is the first rise since the end of January.
3:07 End of COVID-19 restrictions causing anxiety for some
End of COVID-19 restrictions causing anxiety for some
Experts have begun to warn that more countries could soon see a similar wave to that seen in Europe, potentially driven by the BA.2 variant, the lifting of restrictions and potential waning immunity from vaccines given several months ago.
“I agree with the easing of restrictions, because you can’t think of it as an emergency after two years,” said Antonella Viola, professor of immunology at Italy’s University of Padua.
“We just have to avoid thinking that COVID is no longer there. And therefore maintain the strictly necessary measures, which are essentially the continuous monitoring and tracking of cases, and the maintenance of the obligation to wear a mask in closed or very crowded places.”
— with files from Marc-Andre Cossette, Ryan Rocca and Reuters
EDMONTON – RCMP say a second suspect has been arrested in the killing of an Alberta county worker.
Mounties say 28-year-old Elijah Strawberry was taken into custody Friday at a house on O’Chiese First Nation.
Colin Hough, a worker with Rocky View County, was shot and killed while on the job on a rural road east of Calgary on Aug. 6.
Another man who worked for Fortis Alberta was shot and wounded, and RCMP said the suspects fled in a Rocky View County work truck.
Police later arrested Arthur Wayne Penner, 35, and charged him with first-degree murder and attempted murder, and a warrant was issued for Strawberry’s arrest.
RCMP also said there was a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Strawberry, describing him as armed and dangerous.
Chief Supt. Roberta McKale, told a news conference in Edmonton that officers had received tips and information over the last few weeks.
“I don’t know of many members that when were stopped, fuelling up our vehicles, we weren’t keeping an eye out, looking for him,” she said.
But officers had been investigating other cases when they found Strawberry.
“Our investigators were in O’Chiese First Nation at a residence on another matter and the major crimes unit was there working another file and ended up locating him hiding in the residence,” McKale said.
While an investigation is still underway, RCMP say they’re confident both suspects in the case are in police custody.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
RICHMOND, B.C. – The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says the 26-year-old son of a man found dead on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast has been charged with his murder.
Police say 58-year-old Henry Doyle was found badly injured on a forest service road in Egmont last September and died of his injuries.
The homicide team took over when the BC Coroners Service said the man’s death was suspicious.
It says in a statement that the BC Prosecution Service has approved one count of first-degree murder against the man’s son, Jackson Doyle.
Police say the accused will remain in custody until at least his next court appearance.
The homicide team says investigators remained committed to solving the case with the help of the community of Egmont, the RCMP on the Sunshine Coast and in Richmond, and the Vancouver Police Department.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
VANCOUVER – Mediated talks between the union representing HandyDART workers in Metro Vancouver and its employer, Transdev, have broken off without an agreement following 15 hours of talks.
Joe McCann, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724, says they stayed at the bargaining table with help from a mediator until 2 a.m. Friday and made “some progress.”
However, he says the union negotiators didn’t get an offer that they could recommend to the membership.
McCann says that in some ways they are close to an agreement, but in other areas they are “miles apart.”
About 600 employees of the door-to-door transit service for people who can’t navigate the conventional transit system have been on strike since last week, pausing service for all but essential medical trips.
McCann asks HandyDART users to be “patient,” since they are trying to get not only a fair contract for workers but also a better service for customers.
He says it’s unclear when the talks will resume, but he hopes next week at the latest.
The employer, Transdev, didn’t reply to an interview request before publication.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
