Canada has banned all commercial and private flights fromIndia and Pakistan for 30 days. The decision comes after the countries areobserving an unprecedented spike in Covid19 cases. It is the longestcountry-specific ban Canada has imposed.
Canadian Transport Minister Alghabra said that a largenumber of passengers arriving from India and Pakistan have tested positive forthe virus. In a news conference, he stated, “Given The higher number of casesof covid19 detected in air passengers arriving Canada from India and Pakistan…Iam suspending all commercial and private passenger flights arriving in Canadafrom India and Pakistan for 30 days.”
However, given restrictions will not apply to cargoflights for the ensured shipment of vaccines, personal protective equipment,and other essential goods.
Patty Hajdu, the health minister of Canada said that only1.8% of travelers arriving in Canada have tested positive for Covid. Indiaconstitutes 20% of the air travel and more than half of them have reportedpositive. Pakistan constitutes a ‘similarly high level’ of Corona-positivepassengers arriving in Canada.
It is a significant volume and given the epidemiologicalsituation in India, it makes sense to pause travel from that region while ourscientists and researchers try to better understand this variance of interest,and trajectory of cases in that region are going,” she added.
According to Health Canada data, in the past two weeksaround 18 flights from Delhi and two from Lahore arriving in Toronto orVancouver had at least one passenger on board who had contracted thecoronavirus infection.
Meanwhile, other countries like UK, Singapore, andAustralia has also banned flights from and to India amid the unfortunate Covid surge in the region.
India is suffering from a horrifying second wave of coronavirusand has reported a new double mutant variant of Coronavirus, which is moredangerous and infectious. Recently, the country has reported more than 3 lakhfresh cases in a single day.