BREAKING: O'Toole calls for temporary suspension of flights from hotspots as more variants land in Canada

Conservative leader Erin O'Toole has called on the Trudeau government to implement tougher border measures on Thursday, as variants of concern continue to arrive on Canadian soil.

O'Toole noted that the variant currently overwhelming India's healthcare system has already arrived in Canada, adding that nearly a third of international flights landing in Toronto have had COVID on board.

"As soon as COVID-19 began to spread, Conservatives called on the Liberals to take action to secure the border and prevent the spread of the virus in Canada. Justin Trudeau has done next to nothing to keep dangerous variants from Brazil, South Africa, and the United Kingdom out of Canada," he said.

"We now see daily case counts for each variant on the rise, and shifts in how the virus is impacting Canadians, like more young people getting very sick as a result."

O'Toole called for a "temporary suspension" of flights from hotspots that "will allow Canada to develop a clear set of parameters to identify the risks of emerging variants and share this information clearly with Canadians."

A group of prominent Ontario MPPs also attacked the Trudeau government for their failure to procure vaccines while keeping borders open from hotspot countries.

Earlier on Thursday, Ontario Conservatives Prabmeet Sarkaria and David Piccini both released videos on their social media calling on the federal government to tighten COVID border control.