Health Minister Patty Hajdu announced Monday that fully vaccinated tourists from any country will be welcomed into Canada for non-essential travel on 07SEP - and fully vaccinated American travellers will be eligible to enter into the country a full month earlier on 09AUG.
If their vaccine credentials are accepted by CBSA officials, those arrivals will be permitted into Canada, and they will not need to quarantine upon arrival into Canada.
Bill Blair, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness of Canada noted that the U.S., “has not yet announced a reciprocal opening of its border at this time,” so it is possible that Canadian border rules will be lifted before Americans lift their own border restrictions. No mutual border re-opening is scheduled yet.
All arrivals of any nationality, including Canadians, Americans and international arrivals, will need to pre-register their vaccination status via the ArriveCan app before arriving at the border, and they are responsible for assuring that they meet all Canadian border requirements. Beginning 09 AUG, air carriers will be confirming that travellers have submitted all required documentation on the ArriveCan app before permitting pax to board.
TESTING
All arriving travellers regardless of citizenship or vaccination status will still require a negative, pre-entry COVID-19 molecular test result.
Post-arrival testing will change however. Beginning 09 AUG, only randomly selected, fully vaccinated arrivals will need to undergo a Day 1 COVID test.
There are no changes to the mandatory testing requirements for unvaccinated travellers.
HOTEL QUARANTINE CANCELLED; OTHER QUARANTINE CHANGES
Today’s announcement included the news that the much-criticized 3-night mandatory hotel quarantine “will be eliminated for all travellers arriving by air as of 12:01 A.M. EDT on August 9.”
While fully vaccinated travellers will not be required to quarantine, all must still provide a quarantine plan and be prepared to quarantine in case the vaccine credentials they present are not accepted at the border.
Unvaccinated children with vaccinated parents will not have to remain in the house, but may leave the house with their parents, providing they avoid group settings for 14 days, including school, summer camps, or group child care settings.
Those who are not fully vaccinated must have a quarantine plan and if accepted by CBSA officers, may quarantine at their destination.
FIVE ADDITIONAL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTS
Alongside the announcement, Ottawa also announced that five new airports would reopen to international travel beginning 09 AUG.
Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra revealed that in addition to Montréal-Trudeau International Airport, Toronto Pearson International Airport, Calgary International Airport, and Vancouver International Airport, the following Canadian airports will be permitted to receive international flights:
- Halifax Stanfield International Airport;
- Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport;
- Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport;
- Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport; and
- Edmonton International Airport.
INDIA FLIGHT CANCELLATION EXTENDED
The Government of Canada has extended the ban on direct flights from India for one more month, until 21AUG 23:59 EDT to continue to contain the spread of the Delta variant, which is 'prevalent' in India.
Pax who depart India to Canada via an indirect route will continue to be required to obtain a COVID-19 pre-departure test from a third country other than India before continuing their journey to Canada.
