Canada plans to open its borders to fully vaccinated travellers from across the globe on September 7.
Those travellers will no longer have to go into 14-day quarantine, according to CBC.ca.
The decision comes at a time when Canada is starting to experience a fourth wave of COVID-19 – most hospitalisations are among the unvaccinated, according to the website.
Travel to Canada for any reason other than ‘essential travel’ has not been possible since the COVID-19 pandemic began. But, in August, the federal government started allowing vaccinated Americans to enter Canada without quarantine, and the government said it considered fully vaccinated travellers low risk.
Those entering will still have to comply with strict travel rules, including the need to get PCR-tested 72 hours before travel, and the need to carry a negative test certificate.
To be considered fully vaccinated, the traveller must have had the required number of doses of the following vaccines, 14 days before travel.
Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty, tozinameran, BNT162b2)
Moderna (mRNA-1273)
AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD (ChAdOx1-S, Vaxzevria, AZD1222)
Janssen/Johnson & Johnson (Ad26.COV2.S)
No others are accepted.
Within 72 hours before arrival, travellers must submit their travel information — including vaccination documents in English or French only, using the ArriveCAN app or by registering online.
Unvaccinated foreigners who are minors will be allowed to enter Canada with their fully vaccinated parents or guardians, but those 12 or older must quarantine. Unvaccinated children under 12 need not quarantine, but must follow a strict set of rules for 14 days.
Vaccine passports are required to enter non-essential locations and events in Quebec and Manitoba, and Ontario and British Columbia are expected to follow suit in September.
