Yesterday, federal government officials announced that effective 11:59 p.m. EST on July 5, 2021, fully vaccinated Canadian citizens and permanent residents will not be required to quarantine upon entry into Canada. These individuals must:
- have received a full course of a Health Canada approved vaccine;
- provide a negative molecular COVID-19 test from 72 hours before arrival;
- take a second COVID-19 test upon arrival; and
- have a quarantine plan in the event that the arrival test comes back positive.
To be considered fully vaccinated, a traveller must have received the full series of a vaccine — or combination of vaccines — accepted by the Government of Canada at least 14 days prior to entering Canada. Currently, those vaccines are manufactured by Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD, and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson). Travellers can receive their vaccine in any country, and must provide documentation supporting their vaccination in English, French or with a certified translation.
Fully vaccinated travellers must also be asymptomatic, have a paper or digital copy of their vaccination documentation, and provide COVID-19-related information electronically through ArriveCAN prior to arrival in Canada. They must still present a suitable quarantine plan, and be prepared to quarantine, in case it is determined at the border that they do not meet all of the conditions required to be exempt from quarantine. As with all other exempt travellers, they will be required to follow public health measures in place, such as wearing a mask when in public, keep a copy of their vaccine and test results, as well as a list of close contacts for 14 days after entry to Canada.
For travellers who are not fully vaccinated, there are no changes to Canada’s current border measures. They must continue to adhere to the current testing and federal quarantine requirements and provide COVID-19-related information electronically through ArriveCAN before arriving in Canada. Unvaccinated air travellers must also book a three-night stay at a government-authorized hotel before their departure to Canada. A full list of travel measures for those who have not been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can be accessed here, https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid.
The CSA will be providing members with more details as soon as new information is available.
