Canada To Drop Covid Test Entry Requirement For Vaccinated Travelers
Can you smell it? Does it smell like 2019 around here? It may if feel vaguely familiar if you are taking a trip to Canada after April 1st and have your vaccination papers in order. No, this isn’t an early April’s fools prank either.
The Minister of Health in Canada, Jean-Yves Duclos, announced Thursday that Canada would not require fully vaccinated travelers to show a negative pre-departure coronavirus test to enter the country starting April 1 at 12:01 AM EDT.
An interesting part of this change is that a booster shot is not required to be considered fully vaccinated. There is also no timeline requirement in regards to how long it has been since you received your vaccination shots. For Canada, the definition of a fully vaccinated person is anyone who has received two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or a single dose of Johnson and Johnson’s vaccine, at least 14 days before arrival.
There is still a chance that vaccinated individuals could be required to take a test upon entry because of Canada’s random testing surveillance program. The good news is no quarantine would be required while awaiting results of the random test.
According to USA Today, When Duclos was asked about no requirement of a booster shot he said:
Canadian officials will continue to review travel measures. Restrictions will continue to adjust as the epidemiological situation evolves.
Anyone who is not vaccinated will only be allowed in the country under certain circumstances. They will also require a test prior to entry and have to do a 14 day quarantine period.
You will still be required to use the ArriveCAN app or website to enter Canada. Masks are also still required for anyone above the age of 6 for all public transportation.
My Thoughts
This is great news for many who want the barriers of travel to become easier. I am a little surprised to see Canada make this move before the US did. Living near the border of Canada, I have heard how strict their lockdowns etc. have been and they had one just a few weeks ago. This seems like a pretty quick turn around in policy. I expect the US to make a similar move at some point over the next few weeks / months. Well, I should say I am hopeful at least.
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