As Canada courts a steady rise in COVID-19 cases, federal health experts on Friday warned on the risks of travelling abroad amid the rapidly spreading Omicron variant.
“Things are happening very quickly outside of Canada. So if you think of travelling, that should be a serious alarm bell,” federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos told reporters before the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) presented new modelling projecting the trajectory of COVID-19 in Canada.
He also warned that Canadians returning home from abroad “should expect delays and hassles” at airports and urged vigilance to those wishing to go out of the country.
“You need to plan ahead, be prepared for airport delays, have a quarantine plan,” Duclos said. “You should also be prepared for officials to follow up with you to make sure your COVID testing is complete.”
In response to the detection of Omicron, Canada was quick to implement travel curbs to contain the spread of the variant. This included banning visitors who have recently travelled through 10 African countries.
So far, Canada has recorded 87 COVID-19 cases of the Omicron variant — nearly all of them asymptomatic or mild. Most of the initial cases recorded were linked to recent international travellers or their close contacts.
“The Omicron variant of concern is a cruel reminder that a global epidemiological situation can change quickly. We all need to be prepared for that as well,” Duclos said.
He also mentioned that in the near future, the government, as well as Canadians, may “need to change gears, adjust our plans or change our behaviour to meet the needs of the moment.”
For Canadians still wishing to travel beyond borders, he warned that “the situation abroad is both risky and unstable.”
However, travelling within Canada might not be as inconvenient.
According to Canada’s chief medical officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, travelling within the country “at this point in time means that you are likely to have a much better experience than if you are heading into the international destinations.”
“If you haven’t booked any of these (international) trips, staying closer to home, I think, is definitely the better choice,” Tam told reporters during a press conference Friday.
For those that have already booked trips, “things can change rapidly in the international context,” the country’s top doctor warned.
At present, the federal government requires all passengers entering Canada, except those from the United States, to be tested upon arrival and isolate until they get their results.
However, Duclos acknowledged Friday that Canadian airports do not yet have the capacity to fully test all non-U.S. international arrivals. While he did not say when that would happen, he mentioned that current capacity has increased but remains limited.
As of Nov. 30, airports could administer 11,000 tests per day and that number has gone up to 17,000 a day, he said. Full capacity would be 23,000 daily tests.
Some provinces have increased the use of rapid tests in the face of rising COVID-19 case numbers. Ontario’s science advisory table said Thursday that rapid tests could be helpful tools in workplaces and schools, while Quebec announced test kits for kids.
Duclos also said Friday that provinces and territories have requested 35 million rapid tests and they will be delivered this month.
Meanwhile, as the government cautions against international travel, global travel agencies have warned of the impacts that could have on business.
In a joint statement released Friday, the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA), Association of South African Travel Agencies (ASATA), Association of Canadian Travel Agencies (ACTA), Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), European Travel Agents’ and Tour Operators’ Associations (ECTAA) and World Travel Agents Associations Alliance (WTAAA) collectively agreed that “closing borders is not the answer.”
“The addition of new border measures has significant economic impacts on travel and tourism businesses that may not add additional community protection,” the statement said.
“It is critical that government policy is guided by science, not political pressure or the desire to be seen as ‘doing something’ since these measures have significant, sometimes irreversible impact on businesses and jobs.”
The federal government has not yet formally advised Canadians to avoid foreign travel. But, Duclos maintained Friday, “that could come.”
— with files from The Canadian Press and Reuters
© 2021 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
PORT ALBERNI, B.C. – RCMP say the body of a second person has been found inside their vehicle after a road washed away amid pouring rain on the west coast of Vancouver Island.
Police say two vehicles went into the Sarita River when Bamfield Road washed out on Saturday as an atmospheric river hammered southern B.C.
The body of the other driver was found Sunday.
More coming.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
The B.C. Greens say Sonia Furstenau will be staying on as party leader, despite losing her seat in the legislature in Saturday’s provincial election.
The party says in a statement that its two newly elected MLAs, Jeremy Valeriote and Rob Botterell, support Furstenau’s leadership as they “navigate the prospect of having the balance of power in the legislature.”
Neither the NDP led by Premier David Eby nor the B.C. Conservatives led by John Rustad secured a majority in the election, with two recounts set to take place from Oct. 26 to 28.
Eby says in a news conference that while the election outcome is uncertain, it’s “very likely” that the NDP would need the support of others to pass legislation.
He says he reached out to Furstenau on election night to congratulate her on the Greens’ showing.
But he says the Green party has told the NDP they are “not ready yet” for a conversation about a minority government deal.
The Conservatives went from taking less than two per cent of the vote in 2020 to being elected or leading in 45 ridings, two short of a majority and only one behind the NDP.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Toronto FC captain Jonathan Osorio is making a difference, 4,175 kilometres away from home.
The 32-year-old Canadian international midfielder, whose parents hail from Colombia, has been working with the Canadian Colombian Children’s Organization, a charity whose goal is to help disadvantaged youth in the South American country.
Osorio has worked behind the scenes, with no fanfare.
Until now, with his benevolence resulting in becoming Toronto FC’s nominee for the Audi Goals Drive Progress Impact Award, which honours an MLS player “who showed outstanding dedication to charitable efforts and serving the community” during the 2024 season.”
Other nominees include Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Sebastian Berhalter and CF Montreal goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois.
The winner will be announced in late November.
The Canadian Colombian Children’s Organization (CCCO) is run entirely by volunteers like Monica Figueredo and Claudia Soler. Founded in 1991, it received charitable status in 2005.
The charity currently has four projects on the go: two in Medellin and one each in Armenia and Barranquilla.
They include a school, a home for young girls whose parents are addicted to drugs, after-school and weekend programs for children in a disadvantaged neighbourhood, and nutrition and education help for underprivileged youth.
The organization heard about Osorio and was put in contact with him via an intermediary, which led to a lunch meeting. Osorio did his due diligence and soon got back to the charity with his decision.
“It was something that I wanted to be a part of right away,” said Osorio, whose lone regret is that he didn’t get involved sooner.
“I’m fortunate now that to help more now that I could have back then,” he added. “The timing actually worked out for everybody. For the last three years I have donated to their cause and we’ve built a couple of (football) fields in different cities over there in the schools.”
His father visited one of the sites in Armenia close to his hometown.
“He said it was amazing, the kids, how grateful they are to be able to play on any pitch, really,” said Osorio. “But to be playing on a new pitch, they’re just so grateful and so humble.
“It really makes it worth it being part of this organization.”
The collaboration has also made Osorio take stock.
“We’re very fortunate here in Canada, I think, for the most part. Kids get to go to school and have a roof over their head and things like that. In Colombia, it’s not really the same case. My father and his family grew up in tough conditions, so giving back is like giving back to my father.”
Osorio’s help has been a godsend to the charity.
“We were so surprised with how willing he was,” said Soler.
The TFC skipper has helped pay for a football field in Armenia as well as an ambitious sports complex under construction in Barranquilla.
“It’s been great for them,” Figueredo said of the pitch in Armenia. “Because when they go to school, now they have a proper place to train.”
Osorio has also sent videos encouraging the kids to stay active — as well as shipping soccer balls and signed jerseys their way.
“They know more about Jonathan than the other players in Colombia,” Figueredo said. “That’s the funny part. Even though he’s far away, they’ve connected with him.”
“They feel that they have a future, that they can do more,” she added. “Seeing that was really, really great.”
The kids also followed Osorio through the 2022 World Cup and this summer’s Copa America.
Back home, Osorio has also attended the charity’s annual golf tournament, helping raise funds.
A Toronto native, he has long donated four tickets for every TFC home game to the Hospital for Sick Children.
Vancouver’s Berhalter was nominated for his involvement in the Whitecaps’ partnership with B.C. Children’s Hospital while Montreal’s Sirois was chosen for his work with the Montreal Impact Foundation.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.
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