Canada enacts travel restrictions for southern Africa in light of new COVID-19 variant

Canada is joining several other countries by imposing new travel restrictions on several south African nations after a new COVID-19 variant was discovered there.

The federal government is banning the entry of foreign nationals into Canada if they have travelled through southern Africa in light of a new COVID-19 variant being discovered there.

Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos announced Friday that the federal government will impose five measures in an effort to limit the spread of the new variant.

Foreign nationals who have travelled through southern Africa in the past 14 days won’t be allowed into the country, he said. Those countries include South Africa, Mozambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho and Eswatini.

Canadian citizens and permanent residents with a right of return will be tested on arrival in Canada. They must quarantine until they get a negative test.

All those who’ve arrived in Canada in the last 14 days will have to quarantine and get tested for the virus. They will have to stay in isolation until they receive a negative test result.

Global Affairs Canada will also issue a travel advisory against travel to southern Africa, and Canadians returning from that region who travel through another country must be tested in that country before they can come home.

The new mutation, called Omicron, was dubbed a variant of concern by the World Health Organization on Friday afternoon. It has spooked countries around the world since the announcement of its discovery on Thursday.

Great Britain, India, Japan, Israel and European Union nations are among those imposing travel bans Friday on several southern African nations, where the mutation was discovered. It is unclear where it originated.