Canada to accept vaccinated travellers in July
Canada announced the details of the first phase of its approach to easing border measures for vaccinated travellers entering the country.
Starting July 5, 2021, at 11:59 PM EDT, fully vaccinated travellers who are permitted to enter Canada will not be subject to the federal requirement to quarantine or take a COVID-19 test on day-8. In addition, fully vaccinated travellers arriving by air will not be required to stay at a government-authorised hotel.
“As we’ve told Canadians all along, easing measures at the border will happen as we see our communities increasingly become safe,” said Health Minister Patty Hajdu
To be considered fully vaccinated, a traveller must have received the full series of a vaccine — or combination of vaccines at least 14 days prior to entering Canada.
Currently, those vaccines are manufactured by Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD, and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson). Travellers can receive their vaccine in any country and must provide documentation supporting their vaccination in English, French or with a certified translation.
The pre-arrival and on-arrival testing requirements for all travellers are still in place. Travellers must also electronically submit COVID-19-related information on the ArriveCAN app, or by signing in online before arriving in Canada.
Those who are not yet fully vaccinated will still only be able to enter under rules that include staying in a quarantined hotel and 14-day isolation. And those who are fully vaccinated but are travelling before July 5 will also have to continue to travel under those old rules.
Canada is still urging its citizens to avoid non-essential travel. The Government’s warning continues to read “during the COVID-19 pandemic, we strongly advise Canadians to cancel or postpone non-essential travel plans outside of Canada. Now is not the time to travel.” Canada’s restrictions on non-essential international and U.S. travel also remain in place until at least July 21.
The Government is also continuing to require international flights to come through one of four of Canada’s major airports—Montreal-Trudeau, Toronto Pearson, Calgary, and Vancouver.