Border restrictions to enter Canada extended until at least Sept. 30
The federal government announced Wednesday all existing border restrictions to enter Canada will remain in place until at least Sept. 30.
That means foreign travellers will still need to provide proof of being fully vaccinated to enter the country and unvaccinated Canadians or permanent residents will need to provide a molecular COVID-19 test taken prior to entering and quarantine for 14 days upon arrival.
The government is also still requiring all travellers, regardless of citizenship, to upload their vaccine information and travel documents to the ArriveCan app.
The restrictions were last extended on May 31.
The announcement by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) indicates a prolonged pause of random testing at all airports until mid-July for the fully vaccinated.
That pause was implemented on June 11 as Ottawa’s attempt to mitigate congestion and delays at airports caused by heightened travel demand and staffing shortages.
Their stated intention is to move COVID-19 testing for air travellers outside of airports to “select test provider stores” such as pharmacies or by virtual appointment.
“Moving testing outside of airports will allow Canada to adjust to increased traveller volumes while still being able to monitor and quickly respond to new variants of concern, or changes to the epidemiological situation,” the PHAC statement reads.
On June 11, the government also announced it was dropping the vaccine mandate for domestic and outbound international travellers effective June 20.
Many industry organizations and opposition MPs have long called on the government to drop various border measures, namely duplicative processes that slow down travel, arguing they have the potential to stifle Canada’s already depleted tourism sector.
In response, Canada’s ministers of health and tourism continue to reinforce that while the epidemiological situation in Canada has improved, the pandemic still exists.
“As we move into the next phase of our COVID-19 response, it is important to remember that the pandemic is not over. We must continue to do all that we can to keep ourselves and others safe from the virus,” Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said in the Wednesday statement.
He added that Canada’s border measures remain “flexible” and “guided by science and prudence.”
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