Canada eases border measures
The country is ready to move toward the removal of restrictions.
On February 28, new measures at the Canadian border will go into effect. From that day, all airports will be able to serve international flights, and travelers will be subject to fewer requirements.
Recent data show that the peak of the Omicron wave in Canada has passed, so the country can adjust epidemiological measures and develop options for long-term coronavirus management. High rates of vaccination, increasing availability of rapid tests, decreasing hospitalizations and increasing availability of medical care and treatment options have also contributed to this trend.
On February 28, the following exemptions are introduced:
- fully vaccinated travelers will be exempt from COVID-19 testing upon arrival in Canada;
- border agencies will still randomly select travelers for testing upon arrival, but those selected will be exempt from quarantine while waiting for results;
- Children under 12 years of age traveling with fully vaccinated adults will be exempt from self-exclusion upon arrival;
- Unvaccinated travelers will still be required to take the test before departure, upon arrival and on the eighth day, as well as comply with a two-week quarantine period;
- At the border, not only PCR tests made no earlier than 72 hours before departure, but also express tests for COVID-19 antigen taken 24 hours before the flight or before crossing the land border (the tests must be performed by a laboratory) will be accepted;
- Travelers will still need to register in the ArriveCAN app before crossing the border.
The list of vaccines approved in Canada with which entry is permitted remains unchanged:
- Moderna;
- AstraZeneca;
- Pfizer;
- Johnson & Johnson;
- Covaxin;
- Sinopharm;
- Sinovac.
Also, the government will no longer advise Canadians to avoid travel for non-essential reasons. The World Health Organization (WHO) last month recommended that countries lift the ban on international travel because such measures are ineffective against highly contagious strains. In addition, the WHO says that wearing masks, testing, quarantine and vaccination should not be a financial burden on travelers, and vaccination should not be the only condition for allowing entry into a country.
Canada is also facing pressure from health experts and representatives of the tourist industry. They are demanding that the COVID-19 tests for entry into the country be completely abolished. In addition, protests have been taking place across the country since late January. Demonstrators are calling for the abolition of compulsory vaccinations and the weakening of other epidemiological measures.
Nevertheless, unvaccinated foreigners will still not be able to enter Canada, except in limited circumstances. However, the current relaxation of the measures is only the beginning of a gradual lifting of the restrictions. According to the government, if hospitalizations continue to decline, officials will be able to take further steps. Some Canadian provinces have already begun to relax restrictions on their own, including removing vaccination passports.
