The Canadian government has urged citizens to avoid foreign travel over the Christmas holidays, saying the Covid-19 Omicron variant "makes us fear the worst", including soaring infections and travel disruptions.
The travel advisory will be re-evaluated in four weeks, but public health restrictions could be imposed in the interim if the pandemic situation worsens, officials told a news conference. "Our government is officially advising Canadians to avoid non-essential travel outside Canada," Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos told a news conference. "Those who are planning to travel, I say very clearly: Now is not the time to travel.