Skip to main content

Canada - Back-pedals, Lift Ban on 10 African countries


Canada lifts ban on 10 African countries.

Following internal and international criticism, Canada has back-pedalled on its African travel bans ahead of schedule.

Canada is lifting the ban on international travel from the 10 countries in Africa starting December 18 at 11:59 p.m.

Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos made the announcement on December 17.

Canada first implemented the ban on November 26 to seven African countries, but within days expanded to 10: South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini, Namibia, Nigeria, Malawi and Egypt. The ban was originally set to expire on January 31.

Canada will also re-introduce pre-arrival tests for all new incoming travellers. Currently, Canadian residents can leave and come back within 72 hours without needing a pre-arrival COVID-19 test. A negative pre-arrival test will 
be required for all new arrivals to Canada starting December 21.

The government said the bans were originally put in place due to a high rate of travellers testing positive for coronavirus from those countries. However, African political leaders and scientists criticized Canada for only including African countries in its ban, even though the Omicron variant had been detected in 44 countries at the time.

Canada was also the only country among the Group of Seven nations to require its citizens to return with a COVID-19 test from a third country, although this requirement was temporarily suspended for South Africa.

The federal government also requires travellers who are allowed to still enter Canada from those countries to get a negative COVID-19 test in a third country before boarding – which travellers say has made getting to Canada next to impossible. Over the weekend, government suspended that requirement for South Africa.

Canada’s ban, along with other bans from Western countries became known as “travel apartheid.” The World Health Organization Director-Genera Tendros Adhanom Ghebrevesus said the rules were disappointing. 

Advocates from within Canada also called for the rules to end.

In mid-December, when Canada’s two top doctors were asked about the rationale for continuing the ban, one said there was none and the other said the bans should be re-examined.

Credit: CIC News


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Nadia Mohammed-First Somali-American Elected Mayor

Two months after making history as America's first Somali-American elected mayor by voters, 27-year-old Nadia Mohamed is sworn in as mayor. Nadia Mohammed  She was sworn in at the city council of St. Louis Park in the US state of Minnesota. Ms Mohamed secured 58% of the vote to win last November's mayoral poll. Nadia Mohammed is the youngest and the first Muslim and black elected mayor in the city, whose family moved to Minnesota from Kenya's Kakuma refugee camp when she was 10, after fleeing war in Somalia. Her family migrated to Kenya after the civil war in Somalia, and she lived in the Kakuma refugee camp until she was about 10. "Well, my identity is one part of my story, right? I am proud of everything that I am, but I don't want that to be the only story. I don't want that to [be] where people stop their conversation," Ms Mohamed told Minneapolis-based KARE TV station after her election. She has listed public safety and affordable housing as some of t...

Breaking! Nigerians, Meet Your Ministers, And Their Portfolios

The newly appointed ministers were administered portfolios by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Please see the list of Ministers and their portfolios below: LIST: Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani Minister of State, Environment and Ecological Management, Ishak Salaco  Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy Wale Edun Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Bunmi Tunji Minister of Power, Adedayo Adelabu Minister of State, Health and Social Welfare, Tunisia Alausa Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake Minister of Tourism, Lola Ade-John Minister of Transportation, Adegboyega Oyetola Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Doris Anite Minister of Innovation Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Nkiruka Onyejeocha Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy Minister of Works, David Umahi Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo Minister of Youth, Abubakar Momoh Min...

Philip Shaibu Pleads For Forgiveness - Forgive, Says The Deputy Governor of Edo State, To His Governor

Thursday in Benin City, Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu appealed to Governor Obaseki to forgive and forget their differences.        Governor Godwin Obaseki and His Deputy Philip Shaibu  An embattled  Shaibu, begged his principal, Governor Godwin Obakeki, for forgiveness over their political differences. While addressing journalists he said: "I use this medium to appeal to Mr Governor, if there is anything that I don’t know that I have done, please forgive me so that we can develop our state together,” he said. "We have just one year to go. We have been the envy of the entire country. So Mr Governor, if there is anything you feel that I have done, please I am sorry. I need us to work together to finish well and strong.” On whether he had resumed at his new office, the Deputy Governor replied; “We have resumed but there is still a lot of work to be done there. “There is no problem about it. The governor has asked us to go there. Like I have alway...