Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced that only four airports in Canada will receive international flights, effective from 18 March, in a bid to limit the spread of Covid-19.
The announcement was made at a press conference on 16 March.
Toronto Pearson International Airport, Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, Calgary International Airport, and Vancouver International Airport are the four airports permitted to receive flights from abroad.
However, the ban does not apply to flights arriving from the US, Mexico, the Caribbean, or Saint-Pierre and Miquelon.
The country has also closed its border to people who are not citizens or permanent residents of Canada.
Trudeau said: “This measure will carve out some designated exceptions, including for air crews, diplomats, immediate family members of Canadian citizens and, at this time, US citizens.
The Covid-19 pandemic has so far killed over 7,100 and infected more than 182,000 people around the world.
Canada has reported 439 confirmed cases of the Covid-19 infection, four of which became fatal. The wife of the Prime Minister, Sophie Trudeau, has also tested positive.
Trudeau and his wife are currently under isolation.
Lebanon has also closed its Rafic Hariri International Airport, along with its land border and ports, to limit the spread in the country. Lebanon has reported three deaths so far and 109 cases.
The country has also previously banned flights from 11 countries, including Iran, Iraq, Syria, Italy and China.
Last week, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that flights from affected parts of Europe, China and Iran will be received in 13 airports in the country.
The selected airports include Boston-Logan International Airport, Chicago O’Hare International Airport and Detroit Metropolitan Airport