Canada gradually lifts epidemiological restrictions

With the 16th highest vaccination rate in the world, 84.63% as of Feb. 13, 2022, Canada could afford to remove the mask regime and universal vaccination passports. While it cannot yet be said with any certainty that hospitalizations are on the decline, it is clear that most Canadians are already vaccinated — and again the question arises as to whether vaccines protect them against new strains of coronavirus.

The province of Ontario, where strike against restrictions as of Jan. 29, plans to abolish vaccination passports as of March 1, but maintain a mask-based regime. Rapid tests will become more accessible — the plan is to distribute 5.5 million tests a week to the public so that people can find out more quickly that they are no longer contagious. As of Feb. 17, most restrictions on the percentage of capacity in public places will be lifted. Everywhere except concert venues, theaters, and arenas will now count the number of people in a single room. There must be no more than 50.

Alberta allowed children under 12 and students not to wear masks as of Monday. Saskatchewan no longer requires vaccination passports, but insists on wearing masks in public places until the end of February. In Quebec, gyms and spas are allowed as long as they are 50 per cent full, and sports and entertainment events are allowed as long as there are no more than 25 people in attendance.

In Manitoba, as of Tuesday, compulsory self-isolation for those in contact with the infected has been lifted, and restaurants and hockey games are allowed without restrictions. The limit on the number of people at an indoor meeting, unless they are checked for vaccinations, is 50. Teenagers are no longer restricted from participating in sports and going to public places. As of March 1, the province plans to completely abolish vaccination passport checks, and the mask regime as of mid-March.

Not all medical workers agree with the cancellation of restrictions. Opposition figures are also speaking out about the dangers of prematurely lifting quarantine measures and calling the concession to protesters "shameful. There is debate about whether to vaccinate children under five — vaccine maker Pfizer is pushing for emergency approval of a vaccine for the youngest children in the US, although children under 11 did not begin vaccinating until late 2021.

Foreign stars are canceling their concerts and rescheduling them for summer or fall: Elton John, Billy Eilish, and Dua Lipa have canceled plans to perform in Canada in February and March. Travelers still have to comply with the federal quarantine law: they will have to do a PCR test at their own expense before entering Canada.

The Canadian government has spent millions of dollars in recent months to randomly test thousands of tourists every day upon arrival. Doctors say there is no point in spending money on tests because a new strain of the coronavirus has already entered Canada. Between Sept. 10 and Nov. 27, only 0.16% of randomly selected fully vaccinated travelers were found to be carriers of COVID-19. Between November 28 and January 22, they were already 5.16%.