Government of Canada Issues Official Travel Advisory for parts of China
According to the advisory issued on Monday by the federal government, “Canadians should avoid non-essential travel to Hubei Province including the cities of Wuhan, Huanggang and Ezhous, due to the imposition of heavy travel restrictions in order to prevent the spread of a novel coronavirus
“As part of their public safety measures, they have also implemented heavy travel restrictions affecting many cities throughout the [Chinese} province. Further restrictions may be imposed on short notice.”
There are more than 4500 confirmed cases of coronavirus globally mostly in China with small numbers of cases in other countries including Canada which as of Jan. 28th had 2 confirmed cases in Ontario and 1 presumptive case in B.C.
The government of Canada has already increased consular services available to Canadians in China seeking assistance in returning to Canada due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Your clients rely on you to provide them with factors that impact their travel plans and safety. ACTA is monitoring the coronavirus situation and will bring you relevant developments affecting agencies as well as travelers to and from Canada. However, on behalf of your clients, Travel Agencies should also be monitoring announcements from airlines, cruises, governments and regulators in response the coronavirus outbreak because the situation is constantly changing.
Significant passenger screening is underway at airports in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver for passengers who may have been exposed to the coronavirus in an effort to maximize public safety. Ontario has also introduced screenings at border crossings and is developing a fact sheet to passengers who may be at risk.
The federal government is encouraging Canadians traveling or living abroad to register at https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/registration for access to important emergency information.
As information changes ACTA will update our website and/or our newsletter.
AIRLINES:
- Air Canada – https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/home/book/travel-news-and-updates/goodwill-policies/2020/novel-coronavirus-wuhan-china.html
- American Airlines – https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/travel-alerts.jsp
- British Airways – https://www.britishairways.com/travel/flightops/public/en_ca?p_faqid=7982
- Cathay Pacific – https://www.cathaypacific.com/cx/en_CA/travel-information/travel-preparation/travel-advisories/update-on-flights-to-from-mainland-china.html?cxsource=nc
- Delta News Hub – Delta extends travel waiver to April 30 following coronavirus outbreak
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