However, Canadians who want to travel to the U.S. still dont know when or how theyll be able to do so
Anja Karadeglija
As the Canadian government outlined its plans to relax border rules, when and how the U.S. will follow suit remained unclear.Photo by Paul Sancya/AP
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Fully-vaccinated U.S. citizens and permanent residents will be able to enter Canada on Aug. 9, while quarantine requirements for fully-vaccinated visitors will be eliminated, the Liberal government announced Monday.
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The government described the relaxation of the rules to allow non-essential travel by U.S. visitors as a preliminary step before the border is opened to fully-vaccinated visitors from all countries four weeks later, on Sept. 7.
As the Canadian government outlined its plans to relax border rules, when and how the U.S. will follow suit remained unclear. That means Canadians who want to travel to the U.S. still dont know when or how theyll be able to do so.
The border between Canada and the U.S. has been closed for non-essential travel since the COVID-19 pandemic began in the spring of 2020. Visitors from other countries, with a few exceptions, have also not been allowed to enter Canada.
Public Safety Minister Bill Blair told reporters he spoke to the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas last Friday and outlined Canadas plans to change the border rules.
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He indicated to me at this time they had not yet made a decision. They anticipated current measures will likely be rolled over on July 21. They are obviously considering additional measures and data, Blair said. But at the present time, they have not indicated a plan to make any changes in their current border restrictions that are in place.
Blair said Canada would continue working closely with the U.S., and he is confident that as the situation continues to improve in their country, that well be able to maintain a reasonable balance in the measures.
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On Aug. 9, the quarantine requirement will also be lifted for all fully-vaccinated individuals arriving in Canada. That means they wont have to spend a mandatory three days of quarantine in a hotel, or do a 14-day quarantine at home.
But all travellers will still have to have a quarantine plan prepared in case officials determine they dont meet the necessary requirements. The government lifted quarantine rules for fully-vaccinated Canadians earlier this month.
Five additional airports will also be allowed to receive international flights as of Aug 9 Ottawa, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Quebec City and Halifax.
After these five airports, we will be prepared to work with other airports interested in reestablishing international flights as international travel volumes and public health conditions evolve, Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said at the press conference.
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All travellers will still have to get tested before departure, but Canada will instead switch to random testing on arrival on Aug. 9. Officials said in a background technical briefing testing each individual on arrival wouldnt have been feasible with higher volumes of visitors.
Only those that have been randomly selected will need to complete a day one test. This shift allows us to focus efforts on unvaccinated travellers, while still keeping track of new variants, said Health Minister Patty Hajdu.
Travellers will have to provide proof of vaccination and other COVID-19 related information to the government through the ArriveCAN app. Current testing and 14-day quarantine requirements will stay in place for travellers who are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated, with the exception of children.
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Children under 12 who arent able to receive vaccines wont have to quarantine. But they will face some restrictions, including testing on the first and eighth day after arrival. Theyll also have to avoid congregate settings, like camps, daycares and schools, for two weeks after arrival.
A government official said in the technical briefing the government wont be providing a list of approved or forbidden locations, but is encouraging parents to keep children from settings with large groups of people, especially indoors.
Hajdu said the relaxed measures do allow parents to bring their children with them on errands for example, but ask parents to not bring their children to areas where theres congregations of people.
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The relaxation of the border rules doesnt mean the government is encouraging Canadians to travel outside the country. The Government of Canada continues to advise Canadians to avoid non-essential travel outside of Canada international travel increases your risk of exposure to COVID-19 and its variants, as well as of spreading it to others, it said in a press release.
The ongoing ban on flights from India will be extended to Aug. 21. Alghabra said that decision was based on advice from the Public Health Agency of Canada, and that it will best protect Canadians from an increased introduction of the Delta variant, which is prevalent in India.
Business groups have been calling for the Canadian government to introduce a border re-opening plan for months. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the Business Council of Canada both said in press releases the new border measures were encouraging.
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However, we are concerned that the costly and cumbersome procedures that remain for fully vaccinated travellers will discourage short visits, including many business trips, Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Perrin Beatty said in a press release. He added other outstanding issues include the ArriveCAN app, which he called a poor substitute for a secure system of interoperable digital health credentials.
Goldy Hyder, president and CEO of the Business Council of Canada, said in a statement the establishment of clear guidelines and dates will instil confidence and enable individuals and businesses to make plans, and will also provide much-needed hope for Canadas travel, tourism and hospitality sectors, which have been hard-hit by the pandemic.
We will be watching closely to see how these rules are implemented, Hyder said. There should be no unnecessary hurdles or wait-times at the border for travellers who satisfy all requirements.
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