This change will allow unvaccinated Canadians to board planes and trains bound for 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 and all travelers should continue to comply with the entry requirements of other countries, possibly restricting the destinations that unvaccinated travelers can visit. Many countries, including the United States, continue to require proof of vaccination upon entry. 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 any travel restrictions suspended due to COVID-19. 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. “It is clear that the situation of COVID is not the same now as it was last autumn when we implemented the vaccine mandate,” Alghabra said. 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 maintaining the security of Canadians, and that the decision is not about easing pressure on Canadian airports, which they attribute to “staff shortages.” 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 and strengthening declining immunity. On Tuesday, Duclos said the Omicron variant made it clear that two doses were “no longer enough”, although the government did not go beyond encouraging those who had not yet received a booster dose of COVID-19 to take it. they do. More reactions will follow …
