Canada Warns Some Incoming Passengers Will Now Be Subject To ‘Increased Scrutiny’

Restrictions on travellers entering Canada are pretty tough right now, but the government is warning that things could get even stricter.

In a new notice, Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada revealed that incoming passengers from some places could face “secondary screening” and “increased scrutiny.”

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This includes anyone who has been in the United Kingdom, South Africa or Brazil in the past 14 days. 

While the federal health agencies didn’t provide details as to why travellers from these spots may face harsher inspections, it’s likely related to the new variations of COVID-19 that have been found in each of those countries.

A U.K. variant of COVID-19 was discovered back in December, while a South African variant was first reported in 2020.

Canadian PM Justin Trudeau has also expressed concern about the COVID-19 virus variant discovered in Brazil, too.

As of January 7, all passengers entering Canada by air are required to show a negative COVID-19 test prior to boarding.

This is in addition to the country’s mandatory 14-day quarantine period, which has penalties of up to $750,000 or even jail time for those who flout the rules.