As the window of international travel keeps on shrinking, now may be the best time to get back home while you still have a chance.

Feeling the heat of the widespread number of cases of the novel coronavirus COVID-19, the federal government is now earnestly persuading Canadians to get back to Canada while it is still possible as the noose on travel bans across the globe gets tighter. Markedly, Canadians who are presently in Europe face hardships trying to come back as a big chunk of scheduled flights have now been canceled ahead of the impending border closures in many EU countries.

“Airlines have canceled flights. New restrictions may be imposed with little warning. Your travel plans may be severely disrupted and you may be forced to remain outside of Canada longer than expected,” the ministry of Global Affairs Canada said in a statement.

A quintessential example of this struggle can be seen in Poland where the media mentions next to nothing on how foreigners can get back home while driving home the message that all Polish people need to come back.

Ontario has shaped up to be the national outbreak’s epicenter as a total of 22 new cases were reported last Saturday, of which 6 are linked to travel outside Canada. The official national tally in Canada is 225 as of today. New cases were confirmed elsewhere in the country, bringing the official national tally to 225.

Premier Francois Legault of Quebec has requested residents over the age of 70 to remain at home until further notice. Also, restrictions regarding visiting senior’s residences and long-term care facilities have been stepped up in an effort to quell the outbreak. All but “essential” visitors which include relatives of those drawing their last breaths or severely ill or caregivers of sick youths shall be exempted.

As the national tally of cases keeps piling up, businesses and sports organizations are going out of their way to take steps which can only be described as an “abundance of caution” in an effort to curb the spread while meeting minimal losses.

Even though the situation looks grim now, Canadian public health officials are of the belief that the risk to the public remains low if they rigorously wash their hands and implement social distancing.

In spite of that, for the exclusive some, such as Canadians aged 65 and over with compromised immune systems along with pre-existing health conditions, the virus could exacerbate things.

Out of the total number of Canadian cases diagnosed with the illness so far, it may be comforting to know that only 15 % have required hospitalization.

As of now, the Parliament remains suspended till April 20^th and in certain cities, schools, colleges, and universities remain closed until further notice. Stay tuned for further updates.