Canada is one such country which we Indians especially Punjabis look upto with great respect and as a country where we all would like to go and settle in. Like all other countries of the world, Canada is also affected by the current Covid-19 pandemic but it is coming out of the situation very nicely. Thanks to its policy makers and the steps taken by them to ensure the safety and security of its residents. With end number of international students already studying and planning their future studies, their parents are also interested in learning as to what steps the Canadian Government has taken to help the international community.

COVID Alert App

Like India has its Covid 19 tracking app called Arogya Setu, Canada too has developed a free COVID Alert App which notifies us if someone we were near in the past 14 days has tested positive. Through this app, the Trudeau government has effectively tried controlling the spread of the virus among its population and thus, it has proved to be a good measure to protect the community.

Health Care preparedness

To help the various communities across Canada, it has mobilized resources wherever they are needed such as:

• public health resources, which include; infection prevention and control, epidemiologists, and environmental health officers.
• personal protective equipment
• medical equipment
• laboratory supplies

Canada has also developed pandemic guidance for the healthcare sector on the basis of:

• long-term and critical care settings
• clinical management of patients
• COVID health sector preparedness

Border Measures and Travel Health

The Government of Canada is continually assessing the travel risks for the Canadians and has issued advisories which say that the Canadians should avoid all non-essential travel outside of Canada. They have also advised its residents to avoid travelling on the cruise ships till the government feels it safe.

As another safety measure, Canadian Government has also redirected all its international flights to its four international airports so that proper screening checks can be done at a place and necessary actions can be taken as per the requirement. They have also issued directions to the travelers to self-isolate themselves for 14 days for their own and as well for others safety.

Support for Canadians abroad

To help Canadians return home or cope with the challenges they might be facing during their forced stay at locations abroad or while traveling, the Government of Canada has created the COVID-19 Emergency loan program for all its residents.

Under this program, the government would be providing the option of availing of an emergency loan to its people in case they need any immediate financial assistance to return back to their home country or to temporarily cover their life-sustaining needs while they work towards their safe return to Canada.

The Canadian Government’s Global Affairs Department is providing 24/7 consular support to all its Canadians abroad affected by the COVID-19 disease through the Emergency Watch and Response Centre and through other consular staff at its network of missions.

Public Education

Public education plays a critical role in getting the response to COVID-19 by providing timely, accessible, and evidence-informed information to the general public which in return helps them in:

• Increasing awareness and understanding of the disease.
• Explaining the prevention of the disease and what steps to be taken if anybody develops the virus symptoms.
• Addressing the general public about the misinformation or misconception about the spread of the disease.

The Canadian Government has also developed many awareness resources on topics such as hand washing, making a mask, and how to isolate themselves so that the residents can better understand and take steps to protect themselves and their families.

They have also launched a National Public Education campaign that provides Canadians with evidence-based information on COVID-19 and encourages behaviors that protect individuals and their communities. This campaign includes various forms of advertising on the social platform through:

• partnerships
• social marketing
• social media posts
• information resources etc

Measures for International Students

The Justin Trudeau Government has also introduced a number of temporary policy changes that are intended to support international students, learning institutions, and other stakeholders in Canada’s education sector. The policy changes that have been implemented in favor of international students since March 2020, include:

• All International students who have their study permit approved to study in Canada on or before March 18, 2020, have been exempted from the travel restrictions which have prevented foreign nationals from countries other than those from the United States from entering Canada. The students including the ones from the United States will be allowed to enter Canada only if their travel is essential in nature and they have a credible plan to quarantine themselves for 14 days once they reach Canada.
• All the international students studying in Canada who are forced to study online because of this current Covid 19 pandemic situation are either allowed to reduce their studies to part-time or they can take a full break from their studies. Other than this, they will also be allowed to continue working both on- and off-campus provided they have a valid study permit to do so.
• The government has assured international students that their eligibility for getting a post-graduation work permit will not be affected at all even if the current situation has forced them to complete more than 50% of their studies online or reduce their studies to part-time or they are taking a break from their studies completely resulting from the restrictions on regular classroom learning due to the Covid 19 pandemic.
• The international students had also been given the advantage of working for more than 20 hours per week off-campus during their academic session and until August 31, 2020, if they are employed in any service that is essential in nature.
• All the prospective international students who are to begin their studies in 2020 either in the spring, summer, or fall semesters are allowed to commence their classes online from their respective countries. The government has also assured them that their eligibility for getting a post-graduation work permit will not be affected but has put a condition that they should complete at least 50% of their chosen studies in Canada once they arrive here.
• All the students who are commencing their studies online in the spring, summer, or fall semesters will be assured of the full length of the post-graduation work permit (according to the duration of their studies) until the end of the year 2020.

Thus, prospective students who wish to go to Canada can refer to this blog for the latest policy changes by the Canadian Government. All these students can contact Navigators Overseas Solutions Pvt Ltd who is always ready to offer its full support and help in every possible way to make your dreams come true. We have been ranked as one of the Best Immigration Consultants by our students. We also have branches in Chandigarh, Amritsar, Pathankot, Gurdaspur, and Delhi. NAVIGATORS OVERSEAS is the best immigration Consultant in Punjab and is the ideal place for you to visit to make your dreams come true and turn them into a reality.

For any further queries contact or visit our nearest branch. We are the Best Study Visa Consultant in Chandigarh for the last two decades. We have been serving in this industry and bringing smiles to the faces of thousands of our students and their families. We are always happy and ready to serve our clients with the promised services.

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