NDP calls for travel restrictions in response to new variant

Today, NDP Critic for Transport, Taylor Bachrach, and NDP Critic for Health, Don Davies, made the following statement:

“Canadians have done the right thing by getting vaccinated and following public health recommendations. With the threat of the Omicron variant looming, we can’t risk undoing our progress. While we still lack a clear picture on the risks the new variant poses, early warnings from scientists suggest the situation needs to be taken very seriously.

The federal government must do everything possible to protect Canadians and block the new variant from entering Canada. It was a vital first step to introduce a ban on non-essential travel and require mandatory quarantine for travelers from countries in Southern Africa -- similar to measures that have already been introduced by many other countries. Canada should also be ready to expand these restrictions to other countries as the situation develops.

The Auditor General found that during the initial outbreak of COVID-19, the Public Health Agency of Canada did not move fast enough to raise flags and provide early warning of international public health threats. The Trudeau government needs to learn from those lessons, and act quickly and decisively as this situation develops.

This new variant again shows that Canada won’t get past the pandemic until all people around the world have access to vaccines. The federal government must support calls at the WTO for a Trade Related Intellectual Property (TRIPS) Waiver and allow the production of vaccines for low-income countries so that everyone, no matter what country they live in, can be vaccinated against COVID-19.”