More than two years after being implemented, Canada is ready to bid farewell to its COVID-19 border restrictions.
Several unnamed sources cited by media outlets in recent weeks suggested that the change was coming, and now, according to Global News, the Liberal government has officially announced the changes.
#BREAKING: Canada's COVID-19 travel rules are coming to an end, including vaccine mandates, masking-wearing on planes and trains, and mandatory use of ArriveCAN.https://t.co/PVgWT63Ulr
— Globalnews.ca (@globalnews) September 26, 2022
The changes go into effect starting October 1st, and make it so that travellers, regardless of their citizenship, don’t have to provide proof of vaccination upon entry into the nation. Further, they don’t have to go through random COVID testing, quartine/isolate or use the ArriveCAN app. Notably, travellers won’t need to wear masks on planes and trains in the nation.
“The results of border tests carried about at the Public Health Agency (of Canada) over the past months have indicated that importations of COVID cases and its variant no longer influence in a significant way the evolution of the pandemic in Canada,” Jean-Yves Duclos, Health Minister, told reporters at a news conference, via Global News. “The higher level of cases of hospitalizations in Canada are largely explained by the domestic transmission of the virus and the rate of vaccination today.”
Lower death rates, high vaccination numbers, alongside the availability of booster doses, rapid tests, and treatments for COVID-19, aided the government in making the decision.
Although mask requirements have been lifted, travellers are still recommended to wear a mask to protect themselves. Further, if required, the government can reinstate the border restrictions in the future, depending on new data or if a new foreign COVID variant appears.
Image credit: Shutterstock
Source: Global News
MobileSyrup may earn a commission from purchases made via our links, which helps fund the journalism we provide free on our website. These links do not influence our editorial content. Support us here.
