Travellers arriving in Canada from Iran will be asked to self-isolate for two weeks to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the new coronavirus.
Travellers arriving in Canada from Iran will be asked to self-isolate for two weeks to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the new coronavirus.
Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam said the new measure is being imposed because new cases confirmed in Canada have been traced to travel in Iran, a pattern she called “very concerning.”
During a teleconference with reporters Monday, Tam said travellers arriving in Canada will be asked to tell officials at the airport whether they’re coming from Iran. Those coming from Iran will be asked to report any symptoms that may be linked to the virus, or to self-isolate for 14 days if they are asymptomatic.
The same protocol has been in place for travellers arriving from Hubei, China, which is the epicentre of the outbreak.
Tam said the new screening measures targeting travellers from Iran are based on a risk assessment which considers the rapidly increasing number of cases in Iran involving transmission through communities. She said she could not immediately say how many cases in Canada were traced to Iran.
But there is no plan at this point to impose any travel restrictions or bans, Tam said.
“Viruses know no borders and we have to balance our public health measures knowing that they are never completely perfect,” she said.
“There are downsides as well as effectiveness. I’ve always also said that as the number of countries increases, border measures are less effective and less feasible. So trying to focus on one country versus another can be m