CDC advises against travel to Canada

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued its highest Covid-19 alert for travelers yesterday, advising that Covid-19 levels in Canada were at Level 4: Very High. The advisory stated that travelers should avoid all travel to Canada and that “because of the current situation even fully vaccinated travelers may be at risk for getting and spreading Covid-19 variants and should avoid all travel” to the country.

It further advised that if individuals must travel to Canada, they should get vaccinated and wear a mask, stay six feet away from others, avoid crowds and wash their hands. While much of Canada has seen a recent surge in cases, the top three provinces in terms of active cases are Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia. B.C., in particular, is a hotspot for the Brazil variant of Covid-19 which is feared for its virulence and increased infectiousness.

Last week, the provincial government ordered restaurants to suspend indoor dining for three weeks and has warned that it expected higher numbers of Covid-19 patients to need hospitalization. Canada’s vaccination efforts have lagged behind other Western nations; and especially in comparison to the U.S.