(Ottawa) As of November 30, fully vaccinated Canadians will no longer have to provide a PCR test to return home for trips under 72 hours.
Canadian travelers taking a longer trip abroad will continue to present a negative PCR test for COVID-19 to Canadian customs officials.
Also effective November 30, the federal government is announcing that it will expand the list of COVID-19 vaccines that travelers can receive to be considered fully vaccinated for travel to Canada. Thus, the list will include the Sinopharm, Sinovac and COVAXIN vaccines, in addition to the vaccines that have been authorized by Health Canada. The new list therefore corresponds to that used by the World Health Organization.
These are the main changes announced by the federal government with respect to the applicable requirements for entering Canada. At this time, the exemption from submitting a PCR test does not apply to foreign travelers.
“The exemption only applies to travel from Canada made by Canadian citizens, permanent residents or persons registered under the Indian Act who are fully vaccinated and who leave and come back, by air or by land, in less than 72 hours, and who can demonstrate it, ”reads a backgrounder from the federal government.
At the same time, the federal government is announcing that as of January 15, 2022, certain groups of travelers who are currently exempt from certain entry requirements will only be admitted to the country if they are fully vaccinated.
These groups of travelers are people traveling to reunite with their families (unvaccinated children 18 years of age or younger are still exempt if they are traveling to reunite with an immediate or extended family member who is fully vaccinated or a Canadian citizen, resident permanent or a person registered under the Indian Act).
Foreign students aged 18 and over will also need to be fully immunized, as will professional and amateur athletes, people with valid work permits, including temporary foreign workers (other than those in the agriculture and agri-food sectors) as well as essential service providers, including truck drivers.
For several months, anyone entering Canada has had to present a recent molecular test (PCR) that shows a negative result for COVID-19. This test is very expensive: between $ 150 and $ 300 per test, which has the effect of inflating the bill for families who wish to travel to the United States. Rapid antigen detection tests, which are cheaper, are not accepted.
The federal government also maintains the requirements for children under 12, who have not yet been vaccinated, returning to the country after a short family trip. The latter will therefore have to continue to put themselves in essentially quarantine on their return to the country. They cannot go to school, day camp or daycare for 14 days after their arrival.
They also cannot go to a place where he could come into contact with vulnerable people or take busy public transport where physical distancing and wearing of a mask is not guaranteed. Large gatherings, indoors or outdoors, such as an amusement park or a sporting event, are also prohibited.
“Health and safety will always remain at the forefront of any decision our government makes to fight COVID-19. The changes to be made to testing requirements and border measures represent the next step in our government’s approach as vaccination rates, both in Canada and around the world, improve ”, said the Minister of Health, Jean-Yves Duclos.
“The situation at our borders is still closely monitored; representatives and experts continue to assess the measures in place and recommend necessary modifications, if necessary, ”he added.
In recent weeks, the Trudeau government has come under heavy pressure from business people, mayors of border towns in the two countries, members of the United States Congress and the Conservative Party to throw ballast into the air. Canada-US border.
On Wednesday, a coalition called for the abolition of the requirement to provide a PCR test for all travelers who are fully vaccinated, whether Canadian or foreign.
The measure announced on Friday therefore remains clearly insufficient in the eyes of business people who are calling for more flexibility in order to allow sectors of the economy hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic such as tourism and accommodation to resume their activity. momentum.