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‘This scale and the complexity that we’re facing has never been seen before,’ says Canada’s foreign minister
CBC News · Posted: Mar 23, 2020
Canada is sending three flights to Peru to bring Canadians home as a growing number of countries close their borders amid rising numbers of COVID-19 cases.
Foreign Affairs Minister François-Philippe Champagne told CBC Radio’s The Current he negotiated with the Peruvian government late into the night to secure the flights. Peru’s airspace is being managed by the military.
On Monday morning, he tweeted that the government has secured authorizations for Air Canada to operate three flights from that country this week.
“We know that there is a number of schoolchildren, elderly tourists who are stranded there. So, we have been able to negotiate. So, it’s really on a case by case,” said Champagne.
ADVISORY TO CANADIANS IN PERU:
François-Philippe Champagne (FPC) ✔@FP_Champagne
We have secured authorizations for @AirCanada to operate 3 flights this week.
Register here: http://bit.ly/2JjGSdD
All united against #COVID19@CanadaPeru
“This scale and the complexity that we’re facing has never been seen before. This is a book yet to be written because no one has ever seen anything like that, where you have all these things at the same time, and you’re trying to bring back people back to Canada.”
The minister urged Canadians in Peru to register with the federal government so they can receive more developing information.
Champagne said Saturday that negotiations are also underway with other countries that have closed airspace and borders to try to get Canadians out.