Canadian Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos announced on Friday that the travel ban imposed by his country’s authorities on 10 African countries, including Egypt, has been lifted.
On November 26, Canadian authorities imposed a ban on receiving arrivals from seven African countries, namely South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, Namibia, Botswana and Lesotho, and then included Egypt, Nigeria and Malawi in the travel ban decision on November 30.
Duclos said Canadians returning from abroad will be quarantined for 72 hours until they are proven free of infection with the coronavirus.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday wrote on Twitter: “The Omicron mutant is a real and serious threat, and it’s here in Canada.”
“If you haven’t received the vaccination yet, do so now. And if you’ve had both doses and are now eligible for the booster, please, get it.”
The Canadian health authorities announced that two people from Ottawa, Ontario, who had recently traveled to Nigeria, were confirmed to have been infected with the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus, becoming the first two cases reported in Canada.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
