The Public Health Agency of Canada on Monday announced that fully vaccinated travellers from the United States will once again be allowed to enter Canada, more than 16 months after the borders were closed to non-essential travel.
Reopening to Americans
As of 9th August 2021, eligible travellers who live in the United States will be able to enter Canada without having to undergo quarantine upon arrival by both land and air, the government announced.
Bill Blair, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, in a statement, said:
The Government of Canada recognizes that people have been anxiously awaiting a re-opening of the border to the world. We have been fully engaged with our American counterparts given the deep economic and family ties between our two countries. Today’s announcement is another big step in our approach to easing border measures which is guided by facts, scientific evidence and the advice of our public health experts.
Travellers must have been fully vaccinated at least two weeks before the trip with either the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, or Johnson & Johnson shots. They should also get tested for COVID-19 before travelling to the North American country, carry paper copies of their vaccination records, and upload their documents to the ArriveCAN app or website.
Unvaccinated children under 12 will be allowed to travel with their vaccinated U.S. parents or guardians. However, they should get tested for COVID-19 before arriving in Canada and then again on the first day and the eighth day of their trip.
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Reopening to international travellers
Almost a month after reopening to U.S. travellers, on 7th September 2021, Canada expects to open its borders to all fully-vaccinated travellers from any country ‘provided that Canada’s COVID-19 epidemiology remains favourable’.
Omar Alghabra, Minister of Transport of Canada, tweeted:
Thanks to the extraordinary commitment of Canadians to getting vaccinated and following public health advice, we are able to announce the easing of border measures for fully vaccinated travelers.
The land border between the United States and Canada has been closed to non-essential travel since March 2020 and extended each month since. Earlier in this month, Canada removed the mandatory quarantine requirements for Canadians returning to the country.
According to the Canadian government, in Canada, 68.8% of all residents have received at least one dose of a vaccine and 43.7% are fully vaccinated, while in the U.S., 56.1% of people have received at least one dose and 48.6% are fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
What do you think of Canada reopening border to fully vaccinated travellers from the United States in August and to international travellers in September? Let me know in the comments section below.
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