10.91°C Vancouver

May 12, 2020 11:35 PM -

Canada's chief public health officer advising extreme caution about reopening the Canada-US border

Share On
canadas-chief-public-health-officer-advising-extreme-caution-about-reopening-the-canada-us-border
Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's Chief Public Health Officer, speaks during a press conference on Parliament Hill during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ottawa on Wednesday, May 6, 2020. Tam says a COVID-19 outbreak gripping the northern Saskatchewan community of La Loche is an area of concern.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Canada's chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam is advising extreme caution when it comes to reopening the Canada-United States border.

She says Canada needs to see what happens when it eases its own public health measures to contain the virus before allowing foreign travel again.

It will also depend on the international epidemiology.

She says Canada should be looking carefully at the United States' COVID-19 situation before allowing cross-border travel.


Next phase will involve testing people with a wider range of potential symptoms


Dr. Theresa Tam says the next phase of Canada's COVID-19 response will involve testing people with a wider range of potential symptoms.

Until recently, the government was asking people with mild symptoms to isolate at home without receiving a test.

In order to get a better idea of who has the disease, Tam says Canada needs to start casting a wider net when it comes to who to test.


The new normal for Canada will not look the same as it did last January


Dr. Theresa Tam says Canada is not going to see mass gatherings or non-essential travel any time soon.

She says the new normal the country may be entering into as Canada starts reopening the economy will not look the same as it did last January.

For example, you can expect to see more Plexiglas and social-distancing measures in stores and shops once they reopen.

Latest news

how-to-build-a-successful-business-exclusive-with-dragons-den-star-manjit-minhas
BCApr 17, 2026

How to build a successful business? Exclusive with Dragon's Den star Manjit Minhas

Canada's renowned business personality Manjit Minhas was in Surrey on Thursday. She attended the Surrey and White Rock Women in Business Awards. Meanwhile, in an exclusive conversation with Connect Media Network, she discussed business, investment, start-ups, Dragon's Den and some unique problems faced by women in business.Manjit Minhas in conversation with Connect Media Network News Director, Pervez Sandhu. (Photo - Connect FM)How to make start-ups successful?In an exclusive conversation with Connect FM, when Manjit Minhas was asked about making a start-up successful, she said that many peopl
AlbertaApr 17, 2026

Sexual assault charges against Edmonton-area spiritual leader, wife stayed by Crown

Sexual assault charges against an Edmonton-area spiritual leader and his wife have been stayed, the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service confirmed Friday. Johannes “John” de Ruiter and Leigh Ann de Ruiter each faced six counts of sexual assault and were scheduled to stand trial in September. The charges, first laid in 2023, will not proceed after prosecutors determined there was no reasonable likelihood of conviction, according to a statement from the Crown. Police previously alleged that John de Ruiter, described as the leader of a group known as the College of Integrated Philosophy, also ca
students-abducted-after-gunmen-attack-passenger-bus-in-central-nigeria
WorldApr 17, 2026

Students abducted after gunmen attack passenger bus in central Nigeria

Gunmen attacked a passenger bus in Nigeria’s Benue state on Thursday, abducting several students who were travelling to sit for university examinations, according to a statement from the state government. Benue Gov. Hyacinth Alia said the attack occurred along the Otukpo–Makurdi highway. The number of people taken has not been officially confirmed. Local media reports indicate there were 14 passengers on board at the time of the напад. “The targeting of innocent citizens, particularly students on their way to sit for examinations, is unacceptable and stands against every norm of hum
air-canada-to-suspend-toronto-montreal-flights-to-new-york-jfk-over-fuel-costs
CanadaApr 17, 2026

Air Canada to suspend Toronto, Montreal flights to New York JFK over fuel costs

Air Canada says it will suspend flights from Toronto and Montreal to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport starting June 1 through Oct. 25, citing rising jet fuel prices. In a statement, the airline said fuel costs have “doubled since the start of the Iran conflict,” making some lower-profit routes no longer economically viable. The company said it is adjusting its schedule accordingly. The suspension affects service to JFK from Canada’s two largest cities, key routes for business and international connections. Air Canada said customers with affected bookings will be contact
WorldApr 17, 2026

U.K., France signal joint maritime mission after leaders’ meeting on Strait of Hormuz access

Leaders from multiple countries met Friday under the leadership of the United Kingdom and France to discuss access to the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route. According to a statement from the U.K. prime minister’s office, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said participating countries welcomed Iran’s decision to keep the waterway open. He said leaders agreed the route must remain accessible without tolls or restrictions, citing its importance to global trade and energy supply. Starmer said reopening and maintaining shipping through the strait is critical to stabilizing economic pressur

Related News