Omicron: Canada Rejects COVID Test Results from 10 African Nations, Nigeria’s Fate Revealed

Nationals from 10 African countries, including Nigeria, will henceforth go through some hurdles and a series of tests in order to be permitted entry into Canada due to the spread of the Omicron COVID-19 variant which some have associated with the continent.
The European nation, however, stated in its recent travel advisory that its citizens, permanent residents, and people with status under the Indian Act who have been in the affected countries are allowed entry into Canada.

The affected countries are: Botswana Egypt Eswatini Lesotho Malawi Mozambique Namibia Nigeria South Africa Zimbabwe
But the Canadian government made it clear that such persons would be required to obtain proof of a valid negative COVID test from a third country, meaning they must present proof of in-transit PCR test results for entry into Canada, The Cable reports.
Added to this, this category of travellers must in not more than three days of departure, get a valid negative COVID-19 molecular test in a third country before continuing their journey to Canada.

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Even more, the passengers will have to complete testing upon arrival to Canada, despite their vaccination status or having had a previous history of testing positive for the virus.

The advisory read in part:

“They will be permitted onward travel once they have received a negative arrival test result. Those arriving by land may be allowed to proceed directly to their suitable quarantine location,” the statement reads.

“If they do not have a suitable and robust quarantine plan—where they will not have contact with anyone with whom they haven’t travelled with—or do not have private transportation to their place of quarantine, they will be directed to stay at a designated quarantine facility. “There will be increased scrutiny of quarantine plans for travellers from these countries and rigorous monitoring to ensure travellers are complying with quarantine measures.

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“Further, PHAC is contacting travellers, regardless of their vaccination status or having had a previous history of testing positive for COVID-19, who have entered Canada from these countries in the past 14 days to direct them to be tested and to quarantine while they wait for the results of those tests.”

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