This week's announcement is a first step in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s election promise to require vaccines for federal public servants and the transport industry.
It falls short on details as to how the vaccination mandate will be enforced by air carriers and rail operators, as well as lacking any update on the “Pan-Canadian Proof of Vaccination”
Lacking from that announcement was any update on the “Pan-Canadian Proof of Vaccination,” which the Trudeau government announced in August, just before triggering a federal election.
Following this week’s Liberal announcement mandating vaccination for travel, the National Airlines Council of Canada (NACC) is seeking further clarification on the details of the mandate. As such, NACC President and CEO, Mike McNaney, said in a statement that the association is looking to communicate further with government officials on the mandate's implementation details and proposed regulations.
“With aviation becoming one of the only sectors requiring fully vaccinated employees and customers, it is also imperative that the government work with us and determine what measures established prior to the full vaccination mandates can be amended, such as mandatory PCR testing pre-departure for fully vaccinated international travellers coming to Canada,” McNaney said.
The NACC represents some of Canada’s largest commercial air carriers, including Air Canada, Air Transat, Jazz Aviation LP and WestJet.
More Details Needed
The NACC’s push highlights the need for further clarification on some details of the mandate, particularly regarding the removal of testing requirements, rail travel, and proof of vaccination enforcement.
During the press event, the Prime Minister said that testing will no longer be required to enter Canada. However, in the official statement on the Government of Canada’s news portal, there is no clear specification to be found. On the travel section of the Canadian government site, testing requirements to enter remain, with no new details.
Lastly, the Canadian government did not announce any further details on its vaccine passport, which was confirmed back in AUG 2021.
The NACC continued to push for a federal vaccine passport, saying: “Timelines are very tight to implement the travel rules. While we are committed to effective implementation [of the mandate] it is imperative that the federal government quickly develop a standardized and digital proof of vaccination for air travel.”
While the mandate is announced, it is unclear how the government has yet to detail how it will be enforced nation-wide unless the passport comes out before 30OCT.
