Breaking: Canada to lift some border restrictions July 5

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OTTAWA, June 21 (Reuters) - Canada said on Monday it would start cautiously lifting border restrictions for fully vaccinated citizens on July 5 but made clear it would be months before U.S. and other foreign travelers could enter the country.

The federal government has laid out its plan to roll back some of its COVID-19 measures, and though it lists some loosening of quarantine requirements for people who’ve received a full course of a vaccine, it doesn’t guarantee anything.

Changes for fully vaccinated travellers

As of July 5 at 11:59 p.m. EDT, fully vaccinated travellers, who are permitted entry into Canada, may be able to forego the 14-day quarantine, including the government-authorized hotel stay.

However, being fully vaccinated does not automatically ensure someone is exempt from quarantine requirements. Travellers will still be required to have a “suitable quarantine plan, and be prepared to quarantine, in case it is determined at the border that they do not meet the necessary requirements.”

If they are deemed eligible, people who are allowed to enter Canada will not be required to complete a day-8 test.

As part of the changes, travellers will also be required to disclose their vaccination status. This applies to all people seeking entry to Canada. Information required will include the brand name or any other information that identifies the vaccine they received, if they were inoculated, the dates on which the shots were administered, and how many doses they received.

To be considered for the exemption, the travellers must have received a vaccine that is currently approved for use in Canada, and must have received all required doses at least 14 days before leaving.

Vaccines that are currently approved by Health Canada for emergency use are those made by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD, and Janssen.

Travellers who are deemed exempt from quarantine rules will still be tested upon arrival to Canada. They will also still have to isolate until their day-1 test results come back negative.

Some other measures that will remain in place include requiring travellers five years of age and older to provide proof of a negative PCR test, taken within 72 hours before their scheduled flight or arrival at a land border crossing.

How do you apply for a quarantine exemption?

The federal government says people who want to be considered for the quarantine exemption, as well as reduced testing requirements after arrival, will need to provide evidence of their vaccination.

To do so, fully vaccinated travellers will have to provide evidence of their vaccination by uploading supporting English or French documentation (or a certified translation) to the ArriveCAN app. This must be done before the traveller arrives at the Canadian border.

The federal government says more details about what information will be required and how to upload information to the app will be made available by July 5.

Travellers will need to have the most up-to-date ArriveCAN app, which will also be released by that time.

In addition to uploading to the app, travellers will also need to retain a copy of their vaccination documentation (either paper or electronic) to be verified at the border. They must have this documentation for two weeks after entering Canada. People who are using a translation will be required to have their original documentation as well.

Federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu says work continues on a proof of vaccination process for Canadians.

“This work includes ongoing discussions with provinces and territories, who have started issuing their own documents. If you are planning to travel internationally this summer, remember to check the requirements of the country that you’re visiting, and remember that many countries have had to make sudden changes as they cope with rising cases or severe outbreaks,” she said Monday.

Non-essential travel still discouraged for Canadians

While the federal government has laid out the details of its first stage of easing travel restrictions, Canadians are still being urged to avoid non-essential travel.

“Although the future is looking brighter than it has for a long time with COVID-19 cases on a downward trend and vaccination efforts going well across the country, we can’t let our guard down,” said Public Safety Minister Bill Blair. “Our phased approach to easing border measures is guided by facts, scientific evidence, and the advice of our public health experts. In all that we’re doing in response to this pandemic, our top priority continues to be the health, safety and security of all Canadians.”

No changes have been made to border measures for travellers who are not fully vaccinated. Travel restrictions for foreign nationals, including U.S. citizens, remain in place until at least July 21.

“In other words, foreign national coming to Canada for non-essential purposes will be turned away at our borders,” added Blair.

He says data collected in this first phase will help the government “determine the timing of future border measures.”

“Discussions are ongoing with provincial, territory, and international partners, with the aim of allowing for non-essential travel of fully vaccinated foreign nationals into Canada in the coming months,” Blair said.

“As the situation evolves, we will respond with new and adjusted border measures as needed, to keep Canadians safe and the economy running,” Transport Minister Omar Alghabra added, noting he will be working with international, provincial, territorial, and industry partners to “determine next steps later this summer.”

“This could include expanding the number of Canadian airports that are eligible to receive international flights, and I hope to have more to share with you soon,” Alghabra explained.

Travelling while fully vaccinated: Your questions answered about the new rules coming July 5

Ottawa announced this week that fully vaccinated Canadians and permanent residents will be able to enter the country without having to quarantine, beginning the night of July 5. But the news still left many people with questions about who would and would not qualify for the eased restrictions. In this photo, people hug outside of the Ottawa airport June 16, 2021.  (Francis Ferland/CBC News)

Eligible travellers to Canada must provide proof of full COVID-19 vaccination prior to arrival.

Canadians eager to start travelling outside of the country again got a dose of hope this week when the federal government announced a plan to ease border restrictions next month. But the news still left many people with a lot of questions.

On Monday, Ottawa said fully vaccinated Canadians and permanent residents will be able to enter the country without having to quarantine beginning the night of July 5.

But there are conditions, including that incoming people must obtain negative COVID-19 tests both before and upon arrival, be asymptomatic and have a quarantine plan in the event a test comes up positive.

They also must electronically submit proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 — two doses of Government-of-Canada-approved vaccines received at least 14 days prior to arrival in the country — to the most recent version of the government's ArriveCAN app.

That last point prompted many people to ask the first of several questions we'll answer below.

Q&A:

Q

1. What if I don't have a cell phone or smart phone?

If you can't access the ArriveCAN app on your phone, or you don't have a phone or one with data while travelling, there are alternatives for you.

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) says you can enter your information on the ArriveCAN website within the 72 hours before your planned arrival in Canada, and then print or take a screen shot of your receipt and bring it with you.

You can also ask a friend or a relative to enter your information on the website for you, then give you the printout or screen shot. You do not need to be travelling together.  The ArriveCAN website is accessible for people with visual disabilities, PHAC said.

So, to be clear, while having a phone with the app is not crucial, if you don't provide the mandatory information on the ArriveCAN website before arriving, you will be required to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival and to provide a COVID-19 test result from the day you arrive as well as eight days after.

Q

What if I'm travelling with unvaccinated children?

There is not yet an approved vaccine in Canada for kids under 12. For now, if fully vaccinated parents are travelling with young kids, the government says the children will have to quarantine when they get home.

"Undoubtedly, this will be challenging for families who want to travel," Health Minister Patty Hajdu said during a briefing Monday.

"The advice from the team — that is scientists and public health experts — is that to protect Canadians from contact with an imported case of COVID-19, children under 12 do need to quarantine for the full 14 days."

There is no need for families with kids to stay at a quarantine hotel when they arrive back in Canada — the kids can go home with their parents to fulfil their quarantine. 

Q

What if my spouse is not Canadian? Do they have to quarantine?

The easing of the restrictions applies to all fully vaccinated Canadians, permanent residents and some foreign nationals who are eligible to enter Canada, according to Public Safety Minister, Bill Blair.

"It is the traveller's responsibility to plan ahead, to understand their obligations and to understand if they are eligible,"  Blair said.

Travellers can find out if they are eligible to enter Canada on the Government of Canada website. PHAC cautions that some provinces and territories have their own entry restrictions in place for travellers coming to Canada from another country, and that it is up to each individual to verify and follow any specific requirements.

Q

Will Canada be issuing a vaccine passport?

Hadju said work is underway to create some kind of "proof of vaccination" that will be certified by the Canadian government. 

"This work includes ongoing discussions with provinces and territories who have started issuing their own documents," Hajdu said.

Q

What if I'm coming home before July 5? Can I have a shortened quarantine?

There is no special allowance for people returning to Canada before July 5, whether fully vaccinated or not.

Anyone arriving by air before that date will be required to follow all testing and quarantine rules, including the hotel stay while awaiting COVID-19 test results.

Q

What if I can't get a vaccine for health reasons? 

Since people who are unable to receive the vaccine — due to eligibility, allergies or other medical reasons — can be infected by COVID-19, they can also transmit the virus and its variants to others, PHAC pointed out.

"As a result, those who are currently unable to be fully vaccinated will be required to complete the day-8 [COVID-19] test (if they are over five years of age) and full 14-day quarantine," the agency said in an email.

Q

What if I have mixed doses of vaccine? Or doses from different provinces?

In Canada, fully vaccinated is defined as having received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days before arrival to Canada. The mixing of Canada's approved vaccines is accepted.

The four approved vaccines in Canada are:

• Pfizer-BioNTech

• Moderna

• AstraZeneca-Oxford

• Johnson & Johnson

You may have received two doses of the same vaccine, or a combination of two of them (for example, one dose of Pfizer plus one dose of Moderna, or one dose of AstraZeneca plus one dose of Pfizer or Moderna).

People who have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine only need one shot.

It is okay if you received your first dose in one province and your second dose in another. You simply need to be able to provide the documentation that proves you are fully vaccinated according to Canadian criteria.

Source:

1.https://www.citynews1130.com; by Hana Mae Nassar

2.https://www.reuters.com,by David Ljunggren;

3.CBC News, https://www.cbc.ca/news,

4. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/news/2021/06/backgrounder-phase-1-of-easing-border-measures-for-travellers-entering-canada.html

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