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The coronavirus has made the idea of travelling worrisome. The government has offered advice on going to certain regions, but one country has now been completely barred. Iran has been given the strictest of Canada's travel advisories since the outbreak.
Canadians are being told to avoid all travel to the Middle Eastern country due to its strict rules regarding the spread of COVID-19. These could make it difficult to leave the country after entering.
The ongoing outbreak has made leaving the country incredibly difficult for anyone who is still there. According to the government, a number of airlines have greatly reduced or suspended flights to and from Iran.
In addition, all neighbouring countries have closed their borders, so travellers couldn't even catch a flight from somewhere else.
Other countries may deny entry to anyone who has been in Iran for more than 14 days, with other restrictions being imposed at any given time.
Another issue complicating travel to the region is that Iran does not recognize the dual nationality of Canadian-Iranian citizens.
This means that these people will not have consular access granted to them, making everything even more challenging if they find themselves in need of services or assistance.
“Additional risks include the volatile security situation, the regional threat of terrorism and the possibility of arbitrary detention,” the advisory reads.
JUST IN: The Government of Canada is advising against all travel to Iran due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak in that country.
— CP24 (@CP24) March 5, 2020
The Government of Canada also warns that it might not be able to help anyone stuck in Iran come home, as it did with people in Wuhan, China and similarly with passengers aboard the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship.
#Coronavirus in Iran 🇮🇷
— Negar Mortazavi نگار مرتضوی (@NegarMortazavi) March 4, 2020
– 2336 cases confirmed
– 77 dead
– A dozen high officials contracted and half of them have died
– 23 parliamentarians contracted
– Virus went to Afghanistan, Pakistan, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Lebanon, Canada, New York
The government's assessment of COVID-19 in Iran suggests that there is widespread community transmission, meaning that just being in a public space carries a high risk of getting the virus.
According to the Canadian government, As of March 5, 2020, 45 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Canada.
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Source: Narcity