Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, has issued the following statement on actions being taken by the federal government to protect Canadians from COVID-19:

“I welcome the action taken by the federal government to protect Canadians from COVID-19 by requiring passengers arriving on flights from China, Hong Kong and Macao to produce a recent negative COVID-19 test result.

“In addition, the Public Health Agency of Canada is implementing a pilot project with Vancouver International Airport on wastewater testing from aircraft to assess the COVID-19 prevalence from various regions around the world and monitor for novel variants of concern. This is an expansion of the project in place with Toronto Pearson International Airport.

“B.C. will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation in China and around the world closely while working with federal partners to ensure the public is protected and informed of COVID-19 related concerns.

“Our thoughts are with those dealing with the surge of COVID-19 and the health-care workers supporting patients in affected countries.

“During this challenging respiratory season, and throughout the pandemic, keeping vaccines up to date is the best defence against severe illness.

“Everyone is strongly encouraged to get immunized and boosted against COVID-19 to ensure they are giving themselves the best protection into the New Year.

“Anyone planning on travelling to China should ensure they are fully up to date with vaccinations and take extra precautions to avoid becoming ill, as access to health care may be limited. Travellers should also review the Government of Canada’s travel advisories when considering travel to China.”  

Learn More:

For Government of Canada travel advisories, visit: https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories 

For more information about the federal Government’s announcement, visit:
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/news/2022/12/government-of-canada-announces-negative-covid-19-test-requirement-for-travellers-arriving-from-the-peoples-republic-of-china-hong-kong-or-macao-air.html