An Air Canada jet takes off from Halifax Stanfield International Airport in Enfield, N.S. on Thursday, March 8, 2012. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan
Six planes carrying Canadians stranded in Africa and Europe are to touch down today in the government's effort to repatriate travellers stranded by COVID-19.
Global Affairs Canada says the planes will arrive from Algeria, Ecuador, Senegal, Democratic Republic of Congo, Hungary and Spain.
The department says the government is planning more flights from Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Peru, Algeria, Poland and Pakistan in the coming days.
Plans are also being made for several fights from India, starting on April 4 and continuing for the next four days until April 7.
The government is reiterating that not all Canadians stranded abroad will be able to come back to Canada, and that those returning will be subjected to mandatory self-isolation.
The government says it has approved 449 loans worth $1.4 million under its emergency program for Canadians abroad and is processing another 900 loan applications.