This change will allow unvaccinated Canadians to board planes, trains and buses heading to either domestic or international locations, but will still be required to meet current test and quarantine requirements upon re-entry from international destinations. Foreign nationals coming to Canada will need to be vaccinated to enter, although they will be able to leave the country if they are not vaccinated. In addition, “due to the unique nature of cruise ship travel”, vaccination requirements for passengers and crew of cruise ships will remain in force. The requirement to use the ArriveCAN application will continue. Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc, Transport Minister Omar Alghabra, Finance Minister Mona Fortier and Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos made the announcement on Tuesday, which also includes important updates to Canada’s vaccination mandates for post-employment workers. and federal officials. Revealing the updated policies, the government says the orders were effective during the pandemic, but were never intended to be permanent. However, if the number of cases increases again, federal officials say they will not hesitate to reinstate orders. The Canadian government says the move comes now “after a successful vaccination campaign”. Nearly 90 percent of eligible Canadians have been vaccinated against COVID-19. Federal mandates requiring all passengers on planes or trains to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before boarding were first promised by the Liberals in the last federal election and went into effect in October 2021. In recent months, there has been increasing pressure on the government to lift travel vaccination requirements by opposition politicians and the travel industry, citing significant pressures and delays at Canadian airports, as well as the relaxation of provincial public health rules. Throughout these appeals, the Liberals defended the orders, repeatedly stating the need to follow science and the advice of public health officials. On Tuesday, ministers said the federal government’s “top priority” remains to maintain the security of Canadians and that the decision is not about easing pressure on Canadian airports. Instead, ministers cited virus evolution, current epidemiological forecasts and modeling projections, and the high vaccination rate in Canada as key factors in removing orders now. Last week, the government halted mandatory randomized trials of vaccinated travelers at airports, but maintained the requirement to use swabs for unvaccinated travelers. In order to be considered fully vaccinated under federal policy, people had to demonstrate a full range of vaccinations, but not a booster dose, despite calls from public health officials to make a third dose part of the demand for better protection against serious illness. More details will follow …