The federal government is advising Canadians against non-essential travel to foreign countries amid concerns about the Omicron variant. Federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos made the announcement at a press conference on Dec. 15. “To those who were planning to travel, I say very clearly—now is not the time to travel. The rapid spread of the Omicron variant on a global scale makes us fear the worst,” Duclos said. When asked if Canadians who travel despite the advisory would be subject to quarantine upon returning, Duclos did not answer directly, saying only that additional measures are being considered by the government and mandatory arrival testing will be ramped up in airports. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called new SARS-CoV-2 variant “scary” during an interview with radio station Red FM Toronto on Dec. 14. Despite the House of Commons being under vaccine and mask mandates, and with the majority of MPs having already voted …