Global News also confirmed that using the controversial ArriveCAN app to provide vaccination information to border officials will become optional once the restrictions are lifted. However, the source said the plan still needs to be “finalized” by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau before it can be officially announced.
Read more: ArriveCAN: A look at the federal government’s plan for the controversial implementation
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ArriveCAN: A look at the federal government’s plan for the controversial implementation
A Transport Canada spokesperson referred questions about the decision to Public Health Canada, which told Global News late Tuesday that “no decisions have been made” about the existing health order. Story continues below ad Under current rules, foreign nationals are usually not allowed to travel to Canada unless they have completed a primary course of an approved vaccine for COVID-19, unless they qualify for an exemption. Current border measures are set to expire on September 30, after being extended at the end of June. At the time, the government lifted the vaccine requirement for domestic and outbound travelers, but kept it for inbound travelers. Unvaccinated travelers are still subject to random testing and quarantine requirements. Vaccinated travelers can also be selected for mandatory random testing – a system that public health officials have used as an “early warning system” for new variants of the virus entering the country. Travelers must use the ArriveCAN app to provide vaccination details, as well as quarantine plans and other required information. Trending Stories
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0:59 ‘No evidence’ ArriveCAN app causing ‘no problem’ at border: transport minister ‘No evidence’ ArriveCAN app causing ‘no problem’ at border: Transport minister – 19 Aug 2022
The US still requires vaccination for entry, but it is not yet known whether it will follow suit and drop the mandate at its border at the same time as Canada. The White House has not commented on any changes to the requirement. Story continues below ad The federal government gradually eased travel restrictions due to COVID-19 over the spring and summer as booster shots became more widely available in Canada. Public health officials and infectious disease experts have warned of a potentially large wave of new COVID-19 cases this fall. Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc warned in June that COVID-19 vaccinations could become a requirement again if the country sees another spike. But Public Health Canada also said the country is moving into a new, more sustainable phase of the pandemic and provinces and territories have lifted most, if not all, of their restrictions.
Read more: Random COVID-19 testing at Canadian border forcing uninfected travelers into quarantine
Earlier Tuesday, a group of mayors and city representatives for communities on both sides of the Canada-US border released an open letter calling on Trudeau and US President Joe Biden to lift all remaining entry restrictions due to COVID-19. The letter, which was also signed by a group of Conservative MPs along with NDP MP Brian Mass, argued that border communities have been “left behind in the recovery effort” and are being hit financially by the restrictions. “While life is returning to normal everywhere else, your government regulations have prevented us from continuing our lifestyle and economic base,” the letter reads. Story continues below ad It adds that mayors and representatives have independently consulted with health professionals and have decided that the current measures are “no longer meaningful or helpful and only serve to harm border communities and border community businesses.” —With files from Global’s Mercedes Stephenson and The Canadian Press © 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
