The federal government plans to drop the COVID-19 vaccine requirement for people who enter Canada by the end of September, the same day it ends random testing of arrivals and makes optional the ArriveCan app, The Globe and Mail has learned.
The changes, for arrivals at land, air and sea ports of entry, are planned for Sept. 30, but have yet to be finalized by cabinet, according to four sources The Globe is not naming because they are not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
The mask requirement for people on trains and planes will remain in place, at the direction of Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, according to two of the sources.
The aviation and travel industries have been pushing the government to relax the rules that cover international travel, saying they discourage visitors and are out of step with many other countries as the pandemic eases.
The United States requires all entrants to be vaccinated, and it is not known if the requirement will be lifted at the same time as Canada’s.
The ArriveCan app is used for arriving passengers to submit their customs declarations, vaccine status, and travel plans. It has been criticized as cumbersome, and a contributor to the lineups and logjams that have been a feature of many Canadian airports over the past summer.
Nadine Ramadan, a manager in Transport Minister Omar Alghabra’s office, declined to comment and referred questions to Marco Mendicino, Minister of Public Safety. His office did not immediately respond to an e-mail.
John Gradek, a former Air Canada executive who teaches aviation leadership at McGill University, said he has heard from discussions with industry members who have told him passengers will still have the option of submitting their travel plans, customs declarations and their information using the app, or stand in a line to do so.
On June 20, the government suspended vaccine requirements for domestic and outbound travelers, federal government employees and federally regulated industry workers. The government cited declining COVID-19 cases and the fact that 32 million people, or 90 per cent of eligible Canadians, had been inoculated.
Finally! Thank you!!! We are free to make our own choices!
Canada got it’s sense back
Just because they did 1 thing good does not mean they got their sense back
Looks like USA still doesn’t have their senses either ..as they haven’t announced yet that they allowing unvaxxed Canadians!