An Edmonton man says he was in the wrong place at the wrong time when he was injured by members of the Edmonton Police Service last year.
Airport COVID-19 testing for travellers arriving in Canada could start any time, minister says
The new on-arrival COVID-19 testing and isolation requirements for all air travellers coming from outside of Canada other than from the United States could come into effect at any time, depending on the airport, according to Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos.
Speaking to reporters on his way into the House of Commons, Duclos said that the directive to implement the new policy has been given, and now it’s up to each airport where international flights are landing to get the logistics in place.
“There are airports in Canada which can start doing that really quickly because they have excess capacity, other airports will take a bit more time,†he said.
On Tuesday the federal government announced that international travellers will soon be tested at the airport when they land in Canada, on top of the existing pre-departure test requirement.
Now, Duclos said that if an upon-arrival test is not possible, travellers would be given a take-home test.
“While they wait for that test to be known, they isolate themselves and when they get a negative test, they can exit out of the isolation,†he said.
According to the government, those who are vaccinated would have to isolate until they get a negative result, and those who are unvaccinated will continue to have to isolate for the full 14 days and test on day one and day eight of their quarantine.
While currently it takes an average of one day to receive test results, Duclos said that the “service standard†is three days and it could take longer to get results once this policy is fully operational, with the expectation being that officials will be conducting approximately 32,000 tests per day.
Rolling this out without a specific start date could result in some airports administering on-arrival tests before others, according to the minister.
“This is a significant change. We are increasing testing capacity by over 50 per cent, so depending on local circumstances, that could take longer than what has been seen in the recent weeks,†Duclos said.
Heading into a caucus meeting Wednesday morning, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in French that the government was aiming to implement the policy soon as it’s possible, given the ramping up of testing capacity needed at all airports currently accepting international travellers. He suggested it could be within the days or week to come.
UNDECIDED ON INCLUDING U.S.
Uncertainty remains over whether the policy will be expanded to include those coming from the United States.
Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said that while talks have begun with provinces over the newly-announced Omicron-prompted travel measures, no decisions have been made yet as to whether the policy will fold in American travellers, but the government is ready to if required.
“Depending on the changing situation, depending on the conditions in the U.S… It’s still very fluid but if circumstances change we will change our decision,†he said.
The United States confirmed its first case of the Omicron variant on Wednesday, in a returning traveller who was fully vaccinated. Canada currently has seven confirmed cases across four provinces, all found in folks who had recently travelled to Nigeria.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has voiced his support for the new slate of border measures, and said that all options remain on the table when it comes to expanding the restrictions.
CONCERNS OVER CAPACITY
While Canadian Airports Council has praised the speed of the government’s decision to impose new Omicron-prompted restrictions, preisdent Daniel-Robert Gooch is raising concerns over the feasibility of testing nearly everyone who is arriving from abroad given the current rates of travel happening.
“The only operationally-feasible way to test 100 per cent of international arriving travellers — from all countries except the U.S. — is to provide off-site tests, such as those that travellers can take at their home or other point of self-isolation,†he said in a statement. “We urge the Government of Canada to work with Canada’s airports and air carriers in the coming hours to ensure these measures, which haven’t been seen in detail, are operationally feasible.â€
Asked whether staff at airports will be able to handle the widespread new testing order given the coming holiday travel season, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said the government will “spare no expense.â€
“We’ll make sure that our airports, our frontline officers can handle the volume,†Mendicino said.
This on-arrival testing policy is separate from more comprehensive restrictions that are currently in place for travellers who have recently travelled to 10 African countries: Nigeria, Malawi, Egypt, South Africa, Mozambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho and Eswatini.
Some have questioned why the government has initiated travel bans on these countries and not European countries that have identified cases of the new variant of concern.
In a subsequent interview on Â鶹´«Ã½ Channel’s Power Play, Mendicino said all decisions are made with the backing of public health advice.
“We do take a look at the epidemiological context in each of the regions in the countries that have been listed. We look at the degree of community transmission, we look at vaccination rates, we look at the prevalence of the virus traced back to the variant of concern and we take that advice from our public health-care officials,†he said.
The bans, he said, provide the government “precious time†to learn about the potential severity of the variant.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Air Canada union head says she'll resign if pilots reject deal
The head of the Air Canada pilots union says she'll step down if members opt not to approve a tentative deal with the airline, raising the stakes as aviators mull whether to accept hefty salary gains or drive an even harder bargain.
Toronto police say they are searching for a suspect who allegedly shot and killed his brother in an argument at a Scarborough housing complex late Saturday night.
John Mulaney and Olivia Munn have second child, a daughter named Mei
Comedian John Mulaney and actor Olivia Munn now have a second child, a daughter named Mei June Mulaney.
Kate, the Princess of Wales, makes first public appearance after cancer treatment
Kate, the Princess of Wales, made her first public appearance Sunday since she announced she had completed chemotherapy and would return to some public duties.
2 suspended from U.S. college swim team after report of slur scratched onto student's body
At least two students at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania have been suspended from the swim team after a report that a racial slur was scratched onto a student's body, officials said.
How does your health measure up? Criticism of long-time tool used to track progress
Body mass index, a long-time tool used to measure a person's health, may soon be out the door as some health professionals push for a system they say is more accurate.
North Carolina's Robinson, omitted from Trump rally, avoids comment on report about online posts
North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson avoided directly weighing in during a gubernatorial campaign event Saturday on a CNN report outlining evidence that he made disturbing posts on a pornography website's message board more than a decade ago.
Netanyahu considering plan to force all Palestinian civilians out of northern Gaza to besiege Hamas
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering a plan to force all Palestinian civilians out of northern Gaza, including Gaza City, in order to lay siege to Hamas and force the release of hostages.
Local Spotlight
Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.
Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.
An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.
They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.
A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.
Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.
The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.
It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.