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New border measures target Omicron variant

December 6, 2021  By Greenhouse Canada


Last week, Canada announced additional border measures to target the COVID-19 Omicron variant of concern.

Foreign nationals who have been in any of these countries within the previous 14 days will not be permitted entry into Canada: Botswana, Egypt; Eswatini; Lesotho; Malawi; Mozambique; Namibia; Nigeria; South Africa; and Zimbabwe.

All travellers arriving by air from departure points other than the United States will be subject to arrival testing, including fully vaccinated individuals. They will be required to quarantine while they await the results of their arrival test.

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Unvaccinated travellers, with right of entry to Canada, will continue to be tested on arrival and day 8 and quarantine for 14 days. However, those arriving by air will now be required to stay in a designated quarantine facility or other suitable location while they await the result of their on arrival test. More details can be found here.

As of November 30, 2021, six cases of the Omicron variant of concern in Canada have been confirmed.

According to the Western Labour Agriculture Initiative (WALI), all temporary foreign workers (TFWs) will be tested upon arrival at the airport, regardless of vaccination status. For workers in B.C., they will then go directly to the provincial quarantine hotel. “It is expected to take an average of 48 hours to receive test results. The BC Government has committed to funding this short-term stay (until test results are received),” states WALI in an email sent Dec. 5. “Fully vaccinated workers may be permitted to leave quarantine with a negative test result. If workers test positive, they will be assessed by local health officials and likely need to remain in quarantine at the hotel.”“For workers who do not qualify as fully vaccinated, the 14-day quarantine requirement remains in place. The Province of B.C. will continue to manage and fund the centralized quarantine facility for agriculture workers in Richmond, until March 2022.” More details for BC employers can be found here.

Sources: Government of Canada, WALI


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