By Caribbean News Global 
TORONTO, Canada – Air Canada has temporarily suspended service to 14 sun destinations, albeit recent reintroduction of service to several Caribbean destinations, issued the following statement:
“In light of the current pandemic context, Air Canada will be suspending some flights to Sun destinations from January 24 until April 30, 2022.
Suspended destinations include Antigua, Aruba, Samaná, Curaçao, Exuma, Grenada, Puerto Plata, Santo Domingo, Bermuda, Grand Cayman, Havana, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Martin/Sint Maarten, and Saint Kitts and Nevis.
To help ensure that Canadians are not stranded abroad, Air Canada plans to operate a number of one-way commercial flights from affected destinations in order to return customers at the suspended destinations to Canada.
Any travellers affected by the temporary suspension of the above listed destinations will be issued a full refund. Our team will be contacting any impacted customers and processing refunds in order of departure date. Eligible customers will receive an invoice as confirmation of their refund once it has been issued.
“Please note that existing travel restrictions, including providing proof of vaccination and of a negative COVID-19 test result before boarding an international flight bound for Canada, are still in effect. It is your responsibility to ensure that you – and any child travelling with you – have all the valid travel documents required for re-entry into Canada,” said Air Canada Vacations.
According to a report in TravelPress.com, Air Canada Vacations vice-president Nino Montagnese, in a message to partners, said: “As we continue the winter season, a resurgence of COVID and new government regulations have reduced demand in some Sun destinations, leading to unavoidable disruptions to Air Canada’s flight schedule from January 24 to April 30, 2022.”
In a news release issued Monday evening, The William Osler Health System declared a “code orange” following what it calls an increase in COVID-19 patients and staffing shortages across its network, said the measure is typically used when “capacity outpaces demand to ensure internal and external resources are deployed efficiently.”
On the same day, the Ontario government announced ‘modified step two of the Roadmap to Reopen’ aimed at reducing the spread of the highly-transmissible Omicron variant.
Ontario temporarily moving to modified step two of the Roadmap to Reopen
“In response to recent trends that show an alarming increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations, the Ontario government, in consultation with the chief medical officer of health, is temporarily moving the province into Step Two of its Roadmap to Reopen with modifications that take into account the province’s successful vaccination efforts. These time-limited measures will help blunt transmission and prevent hospitals from becoming overwhelmed as the province continues to accelerate its booster dose rollout. As part of the province’s response to the Omicron variant, starting January 5, students will pivot to remote learning with free emergency child care planned for school-aged children of health care and other eligible frontline workers,”
On Thursday, Ontario is reporting 13,339 COVID cases as hospitalizations continue to increase.
Tracking the coronavirus
- https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/coronavirustracker/
- https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19.html
December 15, the public health agency of Canada advised travellers, regardless of their vaccination status, to avoid non-essential travel internationally.
