COVID concern: Canada may extend travel ban on Pakistan, India

TORONTO: Canada may extend its current flight ban on India and Pakistan as concerns remain over a highly transmissible variant of the novel coronavirus first discovered in India, foreign media reported.

“The Government of Canada continuously monitors and evaluates the situation and may extend travel and border measures to continue to protect Canadians,” Health Canada told Global News in an emailed statement Thursday.

Last week, Air Canada extended the flight ban from India to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

“We have further extended the suspension of our flights from India until June 22,” Air Canada spokesperson Peter Fitzpatrick told Global News in a statement.

“We did this in anticipation of the existing suspension on flights between the two countries being extended.” The 30-day flight ban from India and Pakistan was first announced by the federal government on April 22 and is currently set to expire Saturday.

In a statement emailed to Global News Wednesday, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Transportation said, “We continue to examine the COVID-19 public health situation unfolding around the world and will adjust border measures as necessary.”