Canada has extended its ban on direct flights from India till July 21, according to the latest travel advisory issued by the Canadian government. Further, the COVID-19 tests conducted in India will not be recognised by the Canadian health authorities, a move that is expected to make travel from India to Canada much more difficult.
The revised rules mean that Indians wishing to travel to Canada would be required to travel indirectly through a third country, where they would need to be tested for COVID-19, before entering Canada. Travellers from India who were detected positive for COVID-19 will need to show a report of coronavirus test conducted between 14 to 90 days before the passenger’s departure.
As tests conducted in India will not be accepted, passengers will have to get tested in a third country, where they may have to face a 14-day quarantine. Not all airports around the world have a COVID-19 testing facility on the premises which could force travellers to go outside in the country for the test report. The revised travel advisory would make travel from India to Canada more complicated, time-consuming and expensive. A large number of Indians travel to Canada for education, job and other purposes.
Notably, several countries had put restrictions on travellers from India due to the second wave of the pandemic in the country in April and May. The spread of the more dangerous Delta variant of the virus, first detected in India, has also added to the global anxieties.
