The Canadian government is eliminating the requirement for domestic and international departing passengers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of June 20. However, all re-entry requirements will remain in effect and all passengers will still be required to wear face masks.
This change will allow unvaccinated Canadians to board planes, trains and buses bound for national or international locations, but will still have to meet current testing and quarantine requirements when re-entering from international destinations.
Foreign nationals coming to Canada will still have to be vaccinated to be able to enter, although they could leave the country if they are not vaccinated.
In addition, “due to the unique nature of cruise travel,” vaccination requirements for passengers and cruise crew will remain in place.
The requirement to use the ArriveCAN application will continue.
Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc, Transport Minister Omar Alghabra, Treasury Board President Mona Fortier and Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos made the announcement on Tuesday, which also includes major updates. of Canada’s Vaccine Mandates for Transportation Workers and Federal Employees.
In revealing the updated policies, the government says the mandates have been effective during the bulk of the pandemic, but were never permanent. However, if the number of cases increases again, federal officials say they will not hesitate to reinstate the warrants.
The Canadian government says the move comes now “after a successful vaccination campaign.” Nearly 90 per cent of eligible Canadians are vaccinated against COVID-19.
Federal mandates requiring all air or train passengers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before boarding were first promised by the Liberals during the last federal election and came into force in October 2021.
In recent months, pressure has increased for the government to lift the travel vaccination requirements of opposition and travel industry politicians, citing major tensions and delays at Canadian airports, as well as easing regulations. provincial public health.
Throughout these calls, the Liberals have defended the mandates, repeatedly referring to the need to follow science and the advice of public health officials. On Tuesday, ministers said the federal government’s “top priority” remains to keep Canadians safe and that this decision is not related to easing tensions at Canadian airports.
Earlier, ministers cited the evolution of the virus, current epidemiological and modeling projections, and the high vaccination rate in Canada as key factors in lifting mandates now.
Last week, the government stopped mandatory mandatory testing of vaccinated travelers at airports, but maintained the requirement that all unvaccinated travelers be cleared.
In order to be considered fully vaccinated in accordance with federal policy, people have had to show proof of a full range of vaccinations, but not a booster dose, despite calls from public health officials to make a third. dose as part of the requirement to better protect against disease.
More details to come …