The federal government is extending COVID-19 screening requirements for most people travelling from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao — regardless of nationality or vaccination status.
China has seen a surge in infections, deaths since easing its ‘zero-COVID’ policy in December
The federal government is extending COVID-19 screening requirements for most people travelling from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao — regardless of nationality or vaccination status.
In a news release Thursday, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) said the decision to continue the health measures, including testing prior to boarding and screening upon arrival in Canada, is a “precautionary approach.” This comes as China continues to deal with a significant surge of COVID-19 infections, as well as tens of thousands of deaths, since the Chinese government lifted its strict “zero-COVID” policy in December.
“Despite the data provided by China thus far, ongoing gaps in data availability remain a significant concern,” PHAC said in the release. “Extending these temporary health measures will provide time for new, reliable data sources to be made available and allow time for expected domestic waves in China to subside.”
Canada’s travel requirements will remain in place until April 5, but the government said they “will continue to be reassessed as more data and evidence become available.”
More to come…
Something is off with China’s official count of COVID-19 deaths since the country ended its strict zero-COVID policy. And with Lunar New Year — the world’s largest annual migration — around the corner, NPR international correspondent Emily Feng says it’s likely going to become even harder to paint a picture of what’s really happening.
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