On Thursday, the Canadian government announced that it would be temporarily barring passenger flights from India and Pakistan for the next 30 days, as part of stricter measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus.

This decision was enacted by the left-leaning government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after prominent right-leaning politicians criticised Ottawa's lack of response in dealing with the third wave of the pandemic.

The ban officially takes effect on Friday, 11:30 pm (PST).

On Thursday, India recorded the world's highest daily tally of coronavirus cases, with 314,835 cases - as questions have been raised on the country's public healthcare sector's ability to cope with the unprecedented strain.

Canadian Health Minister Patty Hajdu stated that while Indian citizens accounted for 20% of all international arrivals, they represented over 50% of the positive tests conducted by Canadian airport officials.

"By eliminating direct travel from these countries, public health experts will have the time to evaluate the ongoing epidemiology of that region and to reassess the situation," she mentioned in a news conference.

Canadian Transport Minister Omar Alghabra stated that Canada would not hesitate to bar flights from other nations if needed.