Skip to main content

Canada-Avoid International Travels-Amid Omicron Threat

Canada advises against international travel amid Omicron threat.

TORONTO, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Canada's government implored residents on Wednesday not to leave the country as provinces ramp up vaccinations to combat the fast-spreading Omicron coronavirus variant, even as efforts to head off a COVID-19 wave are complicated by public fatigue over the pandemic.

COVID-19 case numbers are increasing, with the national seven-day average of new cases at its highest point since Oct. 1, as Canadian hospitals struggle to clear backlogs from months of postponed procedures. Many exhausted staff members appear ill-equipped for another surge in infections.

"I say very clearly: Now is not the time to travel," Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos told a news conference, adding it is clear there is community transmission of Omicron in Canada.

"I understand this sucks," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters as he urged Canadians to follow public health advice and "be careful during this holiday season. Get your kids their shots."

Children aged 5 to 11 had the highest infection rate of any age group in Ontario for the two weeks ended Tuesday.

Ontario will start offering a third shot of the vaccine to everyone over age 18 this week, while shortening the required gap between second and third doses to three months from six.

The province, Canada's most-populous, is also reducing capacity by half at indoor events with a capacity of at least 1,000, including sports activities, concerts and commercial film and television production.

Canada has banned travel from 10 African countries because of concerns about the new variant.
The federal government advised residents in March 2020 not to travel abroad unless necessary. It withdrew the notice this past October - before the first Omicron cases were reported - citing the success of vaccination campaigns.

Peter Juni, director of Ontario's COVID-19 science advisory table, urged people to take precautions, get vaccinated and not take Omicron lightly.

What really worries me is that people are asleep at the steering wheel, internationally," he said. "They have wishful thinking it will be mild. ... This is not a realistic attitude."

Scientists suspect Omicron is more transmissible given its rapid spread, although they caution it is too early to draw conclusions about its severity.

Credit: REUTERS 


Comments

  1. Unknown21 December 2021 at 06:29

    I think he is right ,except otherwise

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hermosa21 December 2021 at 21:43

    God help us 🥴🥴🥴🥴

    ReplyDelete
  3. Jokodola22 December 2021 at 04:34

    God heal our world

    ReplyDelete
  4. Austin Odidi28 December 2021 at 14:50

    Does black Africa have a corona virus pandemic in the real definition of a pandemic? The number of infections in black Africa is relatively low when compared to those of Europe and America. The number of COVID-19 related deaths in black Africa is low compared to deaths from malaria and other diseases. The number of COVID-19 deaths in black Africa is very low compared to Europe and America. Against this backdrop, I think Europe and America need not place travel ban on black Africa.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Type your comments here

Popular posts from this blog

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Wins Big In Governor Nyesom Wike's Local Government Area

The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, has won the Obio-Akpor, the Local Government Area of Governor Nyesom Wike in Rivers State by a landslide. Tinubu polled 80,239 votes to defeat the Candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, who came a distant second with 3,829 and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), who got 368 votes.
Post a Comment
Read more

N1.15bn Vehicles Purchase For Niger Republic-The Federal Government Gives Reasons

The Federal Government, on Wednesday, defends the disbursement of N1.15bn for the purchase of 10 SUVs for the Republic of Niger, saying that the move is to enable the country to safeguard its territory in the best interest of Nigeria’s security. The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, said it was not the first time Nigeria is supporting her neighbours. She asserted that the President had a responsibility to make such decisions “in the best interests of the country.” She said this while answering questions from State House Correspondents after the Federal Executive Council meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari. According to the Minister;  “Let me just say that, over time, Nigeria has had to support its neighbours, especially immediate neighbours, to enhance their capacity to secure their countries as it relates to us. “This is not the first time that Nigeria has supported Niger, Cameroon or Chad, and the President makes an assessment as to what i...
3 comments
Read more

Hushpuppi Gets 11-Year Jail Term

Ramon Abbas popularly referred to as  ‘HUSHPUPPI,' has been sentenced to 11 years in prison in the United States. The instagram 'big boy,' will however, spend nine years in prison because he had spent two years already in the US following his arrest in Dubai in 2020. In June 2020, Hushpuppi was arrested in Dubai over an extensive fraud scheme that has robbed victims of their money in the U.S, Qatar, the United Kingdom, and other places. In a final appeal to judge Otis Wright ahead of his scheduled sentencing on September 19, Hushpuppi wrote a personal letter to the court narrating his source of wealth, criminal adventure and regrets. Abbas, apologised to his family members for bringing them shame while commending the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for doing a thorough job in bringing him to justice.
Post a Comment
Read more