Canadian officials are petrified of saying or doing anything that even remotely offends Beijing, even if the reality runs contrary to the regime’s narrative and the well-being of Canadians possibly threatened as a consequence.

Shane Miller | The Epoch Times

In the face of the growing coronavirus outbreak, authorities in more than 50 countries have imposed some form of travel restrictions to protect their citizens, but not Canada. Even China itself—which has praised Canada for not enacting restrictions similar to our neighbour to the south—has locked down many cities.

Thus far, aside from quarantining a few hundred evacuees from Wuhan in the military base in Trenton, the government hasn’t imposed any significant travel restrictions. The Public Health Agency of Canada maintains that the threat to Canada remains low, but Canadians have reason to be antsy over the government’s relaxed approach.

One concern is that, rather than subjecting travellers from Hubei Province—the epicentre of the outbreak—to mandatory screenings upon arrival as other countries have, the government has instead instructed them to undertake “voluntary isolation” for 14 days. Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam has said that around 70–80 people from Hubei are arriving in Canada daily.

Asked at a press conference by Epoch Times reporter Becky Zhou under what circumstances Canada would consider travel restrictions for China, federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu said banning travellers is “the least effective way of preventing the spread.”

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Shane Miller is a researcher for Probe International and freelance contributor to The Epoch Times.