As Canadians were urged to stay indoors and limit holiday celebrations to members of their households, a growing number of politicians across Canada have admitted to travelling outside the country despite pandemic restrictions. 

Federal and provincial politicians alike have come under fire — or drawn rebuke from their leaders — for choosing to leave Canada as COVID-19 cases continue to climb in parts of the country. 

The federal government has advised Canadians throughout the pandemic to avoid all non-essential travel and introduced new testing requirements this week for those planning to travel by air.

Here are the cases CBC News has confirmed so far.

Federal MPs

Liberal MP Kamal Khera has announced she is stepping down as parliamentary secretary to International Development Minister Karina Gould after revealing she travelled across the border to Seattle to attend a private memorial. 

In a statement shared Sunday on Twitter, Khera said she attended a gathering of fewer than 10 people to mourn the loss of her uncle and father. The Brampton-West MP left Canada after the most recent parliamentary session came to an end and returned home Dec. 31. Khera said her visit was deemed essential but said she is leaving her parliamentary secretary role to ensure her choices "do not distract from the important work of our government." 

Khera contracted COVID-19 back in March and previously volunteered as a nurse at a long-term care facility in Ontario early on in the pandemic.