Some restrictions will soon be lifted for people who are fully vaccinated and who have proof of vaccination.
The government said only Canadians and permanent residents will be allowed to bypass the mandatory hotel quarantine when entering Canada, provided they upload their documentation to a dedicated ArriveCan app prior to arrival.
The government decided to introduce these first travel loosening because more than 75% of those who could get vaccinated had already been vaccinated with the first dose, and more than 20% had already received the second dose of the vaccine.
However, for Canadians and Permanent Residents to cross the border, it will not be as simple as walking past a customs officer.
According to government information, you will be required to provide documentation to prove that you are fully vaccinated at least 14 days prior to your arrival in Canada. All documentation will need to be loaded into the ArriveCan application. You will also need to meet pre-flight and post-flight test requirements, be free from any symptoms of illness, and have a possible quarantine plan.
The final decision on what to do with the person entering Canada will be made by the border officer based on the information provided to him.
If the clerk accepts our papers, there will be no need to go to quarantine. Those arriving by air will not need to stay at the airport hotel. This will also apply to adults who are under guardianship as well as unvaccinated children, who will also not have to stay at the hotel at the airport.
Children who have not been vaccinated will be able to go home with their parents but will have to undergo a two-week quarantine there.
There will be no changes at the border for people who have not been fully vaccinated.
Under the guidelines, who will be considered fully vaccinated?
To be considered fully vaccinated, one will need to take either a complete series of one vaccine or a combination of two vaccines approved by the Canadian government. These vaccines must be manufactured by Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca/Covishield and Janssen/Johnson & Johnson. Travelers may receive these vaccines in any country and will need to provide supporting documentation of their vaccination in English, French, or another language, but with a copy of a certified translation.
At the same time, the government continues to advise avoiding non-essential travel.
The loosening that will be introduced will not apply to foreigners. Ottawa has also confirmed that it will keep its border closed with the United States for another month.
“At this time, the Government of Canada continues to strongly advise Canadians to avoid non-essential travel. Although the future is looking brighter than it has for a long time with COVID-19 cases on a downward trend and vaccination efforts going well across the country, we can’t let our guard down. Our phased approach to easing border measures is guided by facts, scientific evidence, and the advice of our public health experts. In all that we’re doing in response to this pandemic, our top priority continues to be the health, safety and security of all Canadians” – said Bill Blair, Minister of Public Safety.
Here you will find all the current travel information:
https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid
Photo credit: Pixabay.com
