Agribition addresses southern Africa travel concerns about new COVID-19 variant
Representatives from Agribition said there are no international guests participating in the show that travelled from areas in southern Africa where a new coronavirus variant has been identified.
B.1.1.529 was first reported in South Africa on Nov. 24. The World Health Organization (WHO) designated it a variant of concern on Friday and named it “Omicron.”
Chris Lane, the CEO of the Canadian Western Agribition, said the organization canvassed its international room on Friday to see if anyone had been to southern Africa recently, or was planning to travel there.
“Nobody in our international program this year had come from that region or plan to go to that region. I don’t think that is going to have an impact on any of the guests here,” Lane said Saturday.
Lane noted that one guest was a South African national who currently lives in Saskatchewan.
“He hadn’t been to South Africa or southern Africa and isn’t planning on going back immediately anyway, especially now,” Lane said.
The Government of Canada banned the entry of all foreign nationals who have travelled through southern Africa on the last 14 days, on Friday. The banned areas include South Africa, Mozambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho and Eswatini.
According to Transport Minister Omar Alghabra, there are currently no direct flights from those regions to Canada.
With files from CTVNews.ca and Reuters
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW Toxic forever chemicals in drinking water: Is Canada doing enough?
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Arrest made, manslaughter charge pending in 2022 death of Calgary toddler
Calgary police have arrested a man and a charge is pending in connection with the death of a toddler in 2022.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
When new leaders took over in ancient Maya, they didn't just bury the former royals. They burned their bodies in public
New archeological investigations in Guatemala reveal that the ancient Maya people had a ritual of burning royal human remains as a public display of political regime change.
Where did the gold go? Crime expert weighs in on unfolding Pearson airport heist investigation
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
Prince William returns to public duties after wife Kate's cancer revelation
Prince William will return to public duties on Thursday for the first time since his wife Kate revealed she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy for cancer.
Russia reports downing 5 Ukrainian military balloons in Kyiv's latest apparent war innovation
Russian air defences downed what authorities described as five Ukrainian balloons overnight, the defence ministry in Moscow said Thursday, as the sides kept up long-range strikes that have featured heavily in what has largely become a war of attrition.