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Politics

    • COVID-19 tests will be mandatory for travellers from China for another two months

    Visitors and tourists to Parliament Hill stand around the Centennial flame on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Oct. 22, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld Visitors and tourists to Parliament Hill stand around the Centennial flame on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Oct. 22, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
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    OTTAWA -

    People arriving on flights to Canada from China, Hong Kong and Macao will have to do a COVID-19 test before they board for another two months, after Canada announced it would renew border restrictions on air travel from those areas Thursday.

    The government mandated pre-boarding tests for people coming from those places last month after China removed long-standing public health restrictions, causing a countrywide outbreak of the virus.

    The test requirement is now expected to remain in place until April 5, the Public Health Agency of Canada announced in a statement Thursday.

    The government says it is concerned about reports of a dramatic increase in COVID-19 cases in China, and a lack of data available from China about potential variants that could be spreading through the country.

    "Despite the data provided by China thus far, ongoing gaps in data availability remain a significant concern," the public health agency said in a statement.

    "Extending these temporary health measures will provide time for new, reliable data sources to be made available and allow time for expected domestic waves in China to subside."

    The agency said it's also concerned about what China's reopening could do to Canada's "already burdened" health-care system.

    Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said earlier this week that the measures were necessary at the time, and any changes would be based on advice from the government's public-health experts.

    The move to harden border restrictions for travellers from China drew criticism from some infectious disease experts last month who feared it would do little to stop the global spread of the virus and could worsen anti-Chinese discrimination.

    A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson criticized the change at the time, saying some countries were attempting to manipulate COVID-19 measures for political purposes and it would take countermeasures.

    Cynthia Carr, an epidemiologist and founder of EPI Research, said the rampant spread of COVID-19 gives the virus the opportunity to mutate, which can lead to new variants.

    "We just know that is an area of opportunity for the virus to get stronger," she said in defence of the test requirements.

    She said restrictions are not intended to target individuals based on their ethnicity, country of origin, sexuality or gender, but rather to keep a close eye on an area where there has been a major change in the spread of the disease.

    "We have to be very careful about how we balance public-health messaging," she said. "We don't want people to feel stigmatized."

    The restrictions mean any air traveller over the age of two who lands in Canada on a flight that originated from China, Hong Kong or Macao must have proof of a negative molecular or rapid-antigen COVID-19 test result, no matter their citizenship or vaccination status.

    The rule applies even to travellers who are only transiting through Canada on their way to another country.

    Those whose flights transfer through China, Hong Kong or Macao and who are in the country for less than 24 hours do not need to take a test.

    This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 2, 2023. 

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    CTVNews.ca ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

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    Canada

    • Since she was a young girl growing up in Vancouver, Ginny Lam says her mom Yat Hei Law made it very clear she favoured her son William, because he was her male heir.

    • The Montreal couple from Mexico and their three children facing deportation have received a temporary residence permit.

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    • For the last seven-and-half months, Toronto resident Heather McArthur has been living out what she describes as her 'worst nightmare.' On Feb. 7, her then three-year-old son Jacob along with his father Loc Phu 'Jay' Le departed for what was supposed to be a week-long visit to Vietnam to celebrate the Lunar New Year with family, McArthur says.

    • The head of a committee monitoring the government's response to the inquiry into the 2020 Nova Scotia mass killing says she's pleased with progress made so far.

    • The University of Ottawa's special advisor on antisemitism says he has resigned following posts he made on social media celebrating the pager explosions in Lebanon this week.

    World

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    Health

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    • Lawyers representing the producers of 'Russians at War' say they may pursue legal action against Ontario's public broadcaster for pulling support for the controversial documentary amid outcry from the Ukrainian community and some Canadian politicians.

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    Business

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    • They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

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    • Vancouver Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko says he's been working his way back from a rare lower-body muscle injury since being sidelined in last season's playoffs.

    • Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette returned to the 10-day injured list Thursday due to a right middle finger fracture.

    Autos

    • An Ontario man says it is 'unfair' to pay a $1,500 insurance surcharge because his four-year-old SUV is at a higher risk of being stolen.

    • Video of a brazen daylight auto theft which shows a suspect running over a victim in a stolen luxury SUV has been released by police west of Toronto.

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    Local Spotlight

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    The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

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    It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

    A Good Samaritan in New Brunswick has replaced a man's stolen bottle cart so he can continue to collect cans and bottles in his Moncton neighbourhood.

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    • B.C.'s police watchdog is investigating the death of a woman who was shot by the RCMP after allegedly barricading herself in a room with a toddler early Thursday morning.

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    • An Ontario man says it is 'unfair' to pay a $1,500 insurance surcharge because his four-year-old SUV is at a higher risk of being stolen.

    • In the middle of the small crowd — near the tents, the lineup of kids awaiting face painting, the snack table — stood a jubilant Chiara Padovani. 'When I say 'tenant, you say 'power,'' she commanded to several dozen tenants, who chanted back with gusto. What looked like a summer block party in front of two north-end Toronto apartment buildings last month was a celebration of what renters who withheld payments for months called a 'huge victory.'

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    • The Parole Board of Canada says a man who assaulted a young pregnant woman and left her for dead remains too dangerous to be released into the community.

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    • BREAKING NEWS

      BREAKING NEWS

      A man has been taken to hospital in life-threatening condition following a stabbing incident that happened on Baseline Road in the early hours of Friday morning, according to the Ottawa Paramedic Service.

    • Police say a man who was taken to hospital in critical condition after being shot Thursday night has died.

    • Higher than average temperatures are in the forecast for Ottawa this Friday.

    • The Montreal couple from Mexico and their three children facing deportation have received a temporary residence permit.

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    • Premier François Legault's approval rating continued to rise this summer, according to the Angus Reid Institute. After reaching a low at the end of 2023, his support rose by three percentage points over the summer to 39 per cent.

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    • Manitobans are continuing to mop up after a deluge of rain hit southern Manitoba earlier in the week.

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    • A gym teacher at a private Christian school in Saskatoon has been charged. Terra MacEwan, 44, is charged with assault with a weapon. A Saskatoon mother who spoke with CTV News says her autistic son was MacEwan's victim.

    • Thomas Hamp says he believed secret police were out to kidnap, torture, and kill him when he fatally stabbed his girlfriend Emily Sanche in February of 2022.

    • A social media post of purple apples “growing†in Saskatchewan has sparked a lot of attention. However, garden experts say there's no such thing.

    • As northern Ontario gets ready to welcome autumn this weekend, it’s still feeling a lot like summer as provincial forest fire crews continue to battle blazes.

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    • Ontario Provincial Police executed a search warrant in Walkerton.

    • On Thursday, just after 9:30 a.m., a man was found and taken to police headquarters, where he was released with conditions and a future court date.

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    • A Vulcan, Alta., man has been charged with a Lethbridge woman's murder after her body was found in the Oyen area.

    • A Lethbridge couple got a good reminder as to why you should keep your vehicle doors locked at all times.

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    N.L.

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