Canada’s ambassador to Mexico posted a video to Twitter on Monday evening in which he urged his compatriots to return to Canada “as soon as possible” in response to the threat and uncertainty from the global Covid-19 pandemic.
“Commercial flights are still operating, but the situation is changing very quickly,” Graeme Clark said. “The embassy and the consular agencies throughout the territory are working full-time to support you.”
He told Canadian citizens in Mexico to follow the Canadian Embassy on Twitter to receive the latest updates on the pandemic and government actions, and urged them to adhere to practices of social distancing.
“We are here for you. Take care,” he said. He added that all who return to Canada will be required to go into a 14-day quarantine.
Canada’s was not the first call by a foreign embassy in Mexico for its citizens to return to their countries of origin.
On March 17 the Swiss Embassy told its citizens in Mexico for both tourism and business to return home.
“The situation is getting worse on the American continent, so this embassy advises [Swiss citizens] to return to Switzerland while it’s still possible,” the embassy tweeted.
The French Embassy made a similar announcement to that country’s students in Mexico on March 20, saying that their “protection is our priority.”
“If the end of your stay or if your university/host organization is closed and your course/mission is interrupted, we recommend you return to France,” the embassy tweeted.
Mexican authorities have yet to put restrictions on international flights, but some airlines like Aeroméxico and Interjet are beginning to limit international service themselves.
Sources: Expansión Política (sp), Canadian Embassy Twitter (en)
