OTTAWA --
The federal authorities will announce adjustments to pandemic measures at Canada's borders subsequent week, Well being Minister Jean-Yves Duclos signalled Friday, whereas Canada's chief public well being officer mentioned the nation is trying to extra sustainable plans to handle COVID-19.
At the moment, the federal government advises in opposition to all non-essential worldwide journey due to the risk posted by the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
International nationals coming to Canada and other people travelling throughout the nation by aircraft, passenger prepare or boat should be vaccinated in opposition to COVID-19, with few exceptions.
Vaccinated worldwide travellers are topic to COVID-19 check necessities earlier than they cross the border, and doubtlessly once more as soon as they arrive at a Canadian airport.
Travellers who've been exterior Canada or the US are additionally required to quarantine till their post-arrival check comes again detrimental.
Duclos mentioned throughout a information briefing the worst of the most recent wave of the pandemic is now behind Canada, and the federal government will "proceed to tweak," measures accordingly.
It is not clear precisely what type these tweaks will take.
The journey advisory is being assessed, Dr. Theresa Tam, the chief public well being officer, confirmed Friday.
In the meantime COVID-19 check necessities for incoming travellers have diversified as COVID-19 case counts have risen and fallen all through the pandemic. Checks have additionally come below heavy criticism from tourism and enterprise teams as being costly, cumbersome, and pointless.
Because of the infectious nature of the Omicron variant, it is very tough to cease each case on the border and forestall an contaminated individual from transmitting the virus to another person, Tam mentioned.
On the identical time, the variety of new instances in Canada has dropped to about 11,000 reported every day, although that's an incomplete tally as many jurisdictions have restricted assessments to high-risk people.
Nonetheless, Canada can not merely resolve to stay with the virus and take away measures totally whereas so many individuals are nonetheless dying of COVID-19 and hospitals are weak to a doubtlessly overwhelming inflow of critically unwell individuals, Duclos mentioned.
That is why extra individuals should be vaccinated and boosted in opposition to the virus, he mentioned.
"If we will forestall extreme issues, our hospitals and health-care employees is not going to be overwhelmed. If our hospitals and health-care employees usually are not overwhelmed then, in flip, public well being restrictions might be much less extreme."
Some 130 individuals die of COVID-19 every day, Tam mentioned. About 8,700 are being handled for the virus in hospital every day and 1,000 are receiving intensive care, the most recent information from the Public Well being Company of Canada reveals.
Whereas nonetheless excessive, these figures present that Canada is previous the height of the Omicron wave and provinces can start to ease COVID-19 restrictions, Tam mentioned.
The Manitoba authorities introduced plans Friday to elevate COVID-19 restrictions by mid-March by phasing them out in levels. On March 1, individuals in that province will now not want to point out proof of vaccination to enter public venues, and masks mandates are anticipated to finish shortly after.
Ontario signalled Thursday that a timeline to step down public well being measures is on the horizon, and the province's high public well being official is predicted to make suggestions to that impact subsequent week.
The premiers of Quebec, Alberta, and Saskatchewan have equally introduced plans to get rid of pandemic restrictions as instances of the Omicron variant decline.
Provinces should additionally plan for the longer term, as a result of the virus is not going to go away and extra variants would possibly emerge with unsure transmission and severity, she mentioned. These plans ought to embrace testing, public well being measures, vaccines and coverings, she mentioned.
Households also needs to be empowered with instruments to make their very own selections primarily based on their very own threat tolerance, and cut back their threat utilizing private protecting measures like masks, social distancing and vaccination, she mentioned.
"Although resurgence remains to be doable, particularly as public well being measures ease, rising availability and fast utility of those instruments can assist to reduce the influence on hospitals," Tam mentioned.
"Furthermore, they can assist shield our most weak populations and decrease the necessity for broad restrictive measures going ahead."
These plans are unfolding within the midst of a charged political panorama, as demonstrators jam the streets of Ottawa and type blockades at main worldwide border crossings to protest vaccine mandates and public well being restrictions.
College from the College of Alberta's College of Public Well being have expressed robust opposition to the fast leisure of COVID-19 well being measures in that province, suggesting it may extend the pandemic.
In an open letter despatched to Premier Jason Kenney and top-ranking United Conservative officers, about 25 individuals with diversified expertise in public well being, infectious ailments and social epidemiology say the federal government is utilizing selective information to assist its desired insurance policies.
Within the Home of Commons on Friday, Alberta Conservative MP Laila Goodridge criticized the prime minister's response to the pandemic, and mentioned essentially the most urgent want for Canadian households is "a foreseeable and profitable return to regular public life."
"As an alternative of dismissing and stigmatizing Canadians who voiced legitimate issues, he must rise above politicizing this pandemic and supply solutions," Goodridge mentioned throughout the every day query interval.
Liberal MP Adam van Koeverden, parliamentary secretary to the well being minister, responded that the federal government desires to maintain Canadians "protected, wholesome and alive."
"We have to keep centered on holding Canadians protected, and that features some restrictions."
This report by The Canadian Press was first printed Feb. 11, 2022.
Automobiles with U.S. licence plates enter Canada on the Stanstead, Que. border crossing as seen from Derby Line, Vt., Monday Aug. 9, 2021. (AP Photograph/Wilson Ring)
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