Canadians told to not travel amid Omicron COVID-19 spread. But will they cancel plans?
Global News
Canadian travelers' concerns over their trips come as Canada announced new travel advisories Wednesday amid a global rise in Omicron variant infections.
As the federal government issues another blanket warning against non-essential international travel, citing the spread of the Omicron COVID-19 variant, some Canadians are beginning to re-think their holiday travel plans.
Tracy Lamourie, a public relations consultant based in Hamilton, Ont., says she’s unsure whether she’s going to cancel hers and her mother’s trip to Malta in January after officials announced Wednesday that Canadians — regardless of vaccination status — should avoid all non-essential travel.
Lamourie says she and her mother have already been vaccinated and aren’t scared of contracting the virus, but are frightened moreso by the possibility of being stranded abroad as Canada and other nations begin to clamp down on international travel.
“I mean, as much as I love the Mediterranean, I don’t want to be stuck there and not be able to get home,” said Lamourie.
“So yeah, it’s a little bit hard to make plans.”
Lamourie’s concerns comes as Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos announced the new travel advisory Wednesday amid a global rise in Omicron infections, including in Canada.
“To those who were planning to travel, I say very clearly, now is not the time to travel,” said Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos in a press conference.
“The rapid spread of the Omicron variant on a global scale makes us fear the worst for Canadians that may think of travelling. Travelling Canadians could contract the virus, or get stranded abroad.”
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