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MEdia

December 2, 2021

Omicron-variant border bans ignore the evidence, say scientists

More than 50 countries have stepped up border controls to slow the spread of Omicron, a highly mutated SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern that is sweeping through South Africa. But researchers say many of the restrictions — especially those targeting only travellers from a handful of countries — are unlikely to keep Omicron out, and come at significant cost to the countries concerned.

December 2, 2021

Travel restrictions and Omicron: What’s changing in Canada, U.S.

The United States on Thursday became the latest country to announce travel requirement changes in an effort to curb the spread of the new Omicron COVID-19 variant — which will affect Canadian travellers.

November 29, 2021

Targeted travel bans ‘too late’ to stop Omicron COVID-19 variant, experts say

It’s too late for travel bans targeting specific countries to have much of an effect on the spread of the Omicron COVID-19 variant, experts say, particularly as it’s already in Canada. “Unfortunately for this Omicron variant, it’s too late at this stage, I think. It’s already here,” said Julianne Piper, a research fellow and project coordinator with the Pandemics and Borders research project at Simon Fraser University.

The Washington Post

November 29, 2021

I studied covid travel bans. It’s already too late for them to stop omicron.

Reports of a new coronavirus variant called omicron have pushed many countries to reimpose border measures in hopes of keeping it out. The United States, Britain, the European Union and other nations announced in the past few days that they would ban or require quarantines for flights or travelers coming from countries in southern Africa, including South Africa, where scientists first sequenced the new variant. Others, such as Switzerland, have imposed measures on all locations that have thus far detected the variant. But we know that border measures aren’t always useful. And it’s highly unlikely that this recent round of targeted restrictions will contain the omicron variant.

CBC Cross-country check-up

October 17, 2021

Ask me anything: Kelley Lee on the U.S. border

The United States is set to reopen its borders to fully vaccinated travellers by air, land or passenger ferry starting Nov. 8. In this week's AMA segment, Prof. Kelley Lee answers your questions about the U.S. border reopening.

September 18, 2021

Want to fly to Britain? Its struggling travel industry hopes it just got easier Social Sharing

In a summer full of depressing travel news, Canada finally delivered Stewart Wingate, the CEO of London's Gatwick Airport, something he could celebrate. For the first time in almost a year, the blue star of Canada's third-largest carrier, Air Transat, was back at Gatwick as the airline resumed flights to the United Kingdom this week after a break during the pandemic.