Waterloo Region prepares for possible new COVID-19 variant of concern
As health officials in Waterloo Region prepare for the possibility of a new variant of concern, those in the travel industry are bracing for an impact to the latest travel rules.
On Friday, a World Health Organization panel named a new variant "omicron" and classified it as a highly transmissible virus of concern.
Canada, along with a number of other countries, also banned travel from Southern Africa, where it's believed to have originated from.
Cambridge travel agent Brenda Goodsell says that, with all the newly introduced measures, it could be a complicated journey for anyone travelling home from Southern Africa, while others may be discouraged to travel to areas with connecting flights.
Since there are no direct flights from Southern Africa to Canada, any Canadian citizens or permanent residents returning home must take a COVID-19 test in a third country in order to be able to enter back to Canada.
Passengers are also tested when they arrive, and anyone who has travelled through Southern Africa in the last 14 days is being asked to quarantine and go for a COVID-19 test.
Goodsell, the co-owner of Preston Travel, also expects the new rules to impact those planning to travel through Europe.
"If they're going to connect through some European cities that have some connecting flights, they'll have to do a PCR test at their connecting city," she said. "I do think it will discourage Europe, it will discourage the far flung places that might have connections and South Africans coming through.
"It's stricter and it's what makes me think they're more concerned with this variant."
Region of Waterloo officials responded to the mounting concerns over the new variant at a weekly briefing on Friday.
Medical Officer of Health Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang stressed that one of the best ways to strengthen community immunity is to stick with the same game plan and get fully vaccinated as soon as possible.
"We know that public health measures and vaccinations have been effective against all of the variants of COVID-19 to date," she said. "At a local level, we need to continue to increase our community immunity and practice public health measures."
Regional chair Karen Redman added that the region has been in contact with the premier's office to address the threat of the new variant.
"I'm encouraged to see that the provincial and federal government are looking at addressing this issue together," she said. "Given this is a pretty predictable outcome, it’s the way viruses work, I'm heartened to see they're continuing to be vigilant."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.