Ottawa has announced sweeping new travel guidelines. All air travellers returning to Canada, excluding the U.S will need to take a COVID-19 test at the airport regardless of vaccine status and must quarantine until the results.

In addition, Canada is adding three countries to its no fly list to counter the spread of the new variant. Travellers from Egypt, Malawi and Nigeria will not be able to enter Canada bringing the list to 10.

Meantime, Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos says Ottawa is also reviewing the booster shot strategy in light of the new variant.

“This call we’re making to ask NACI (National Advisory Committee on Immunization) to provide quick guidance on whether we should revise the national standards, attitudes and actions on the use of boosters across Canada in the context of the new Omicron variant.”

There are now four provinces with confirmed cases of this new variant: BC, Alberta, Quebec and Ontario.

The World Health Organization warned against the potentially dangerous impact of the Omicron variant but admits there are still many questions about its transmission and the severity of illness it causes.