The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has once again urged the Canadian Government to lift the current restrictions imposed to halt the spread of the Coronavirus and its new variants.
IATA has called on the Canadian authorities to lift the random testing for internationals entering the country, end the vaccination requirement for them, use ArriveCAN solely for customs and lift the mandatory face mask requirement.
Up to this point, a large number of countries worldwide have abolished the COVID-19-related restrictions in order to facilitate the travel process and help the industries recover from the damages caused by COVID-19 and its new variants; however, authorities in Canada have not followed this example, VisaGuide.World reports.
IATA has considered Canada’s current restrictions out of step with the global trend of abolishing travel restrictions, considering such measures responsible for the ongoing delays as well as disruption affecting air travelers across Canada.
In this regard, IATA’s Regional Vice President for the Americas, Peter Cerda, has said that Canada has become an outlier in managing COVID-19 and travel, adding that while governments in other countries are lifting these preventive measures, Canada’s Government is reimposing them.
“The Government should follow the lead of its peers, including, for example, Australia. While that country had some of the toughest travel restrictions during the height of the pandemic, it has now lifted these, including the mandatory vaccination requirement. Rather than following this example and enabling travel and tourism to recover, those in power in Canada believe that throwing more red tape at the pandemic is the way forward,” said Peter Cerda, IATA’s Regional Vice President for the Americas.
According to the figures provided by the World Health Organization (WHO), Canada has registered a total of 3,953,490 cases of COVID-19 infection since the start of the pandemic, while a total of 41,932 people have died during the same period.
Besides, the same source shows that as of July 8, a total of 85,774,967 vaccine doses have been administered in the country.
Such figures led authorities in Canada to keep in place their travel restrictions which have been often criticized.
According to Cerda, after more than two years of COVID-19 restrictions, people want to be able to travel again while the level of travel demand is increasing.
“Maintaining outdated Coronavirus restrictions contributes to the delays passengers are facing at major Canadian international gateways. Governments need to ensure that travel restrictions are planned to address today’s environment, not the environment of the previous two years,” IATA’s Regional Vice President for the Americas pointed out.
He added that now is time for Canada’s Government to join its counterparts around the world and lift unnecessary and outdated measures.