For fully immunized travelers, Canada is removing the COVID-19 test requirement.
Beginning April 1, fully vaccinated visitors to Canada will no longer require a COVID-19 test prior to arrival.
The new restrictions, according to the Canadian government, would apply to travellers entering at all ports of entry. Although pre-arrival testing will be eliminated, the government may still test travellers at random after they arrive. The goal of the random testing is to find COVID-19 variations and trace them down. If fully vaccinated passengers are chosen for an on-arrival test, they will not be required to quarantine while awaiting the results.
In Canada, travel industry representatives have fought against testing standards, claiming that their high cost will dissuade travellers. The testing requirement, according to the Canadian Travel and Tourism Roundtable, is a “non-science-based” impediment. A COVID-19 test can cost as much as $200 CAD for a molecular test and as little as $100 for an antigen test. Some nations, such as the United Kingdom, Denmark, Switzerland, and Ireland, have already lifted their testing requirements, according to the organization.
On February 28, Canada relaxed its testing criteria. Travelers to Canada are currently required to submit either a pre-arrival antigen test or a pre-arrival antigen test within 24 hours of aircraft departure or arrival at the land border. The antigen test for the passenger must be approved by the country from which he or she is departing, and it cannot be done at home. Travelers can also undergo a molecular test within 72 hours after arriving in Canada. Before crossing the border, travellers must upload documentation to the ArriveCAN app.
Unvaccinated children under the age of 12 entering Canada do not required to be quarantined for two weeks as of February 28.
The vaccination requirement for visitors to Canada is still in place. Permanent residents, temporary residents, and visiting visa holders who are fully vaccinated are allowed to enter the nation. Unvaccinated foreign visitors are only permitted to enter Canada under particular conditions mentioned on the government’s website, such as Ukrainian nationals, temporary foreign workers going to work in agriculture or food processing, and persons who habitually cross the border for employment, among others. Travelers who are unvaccinated or just partially vaccinated must still be examined upon arrival and placed in quarantine for 14 days. They will be required to take a test on the eighth day of their internment.
The Canadian government needs travellers to have received the maximum recommended dosage of a licensed vaccination in order to be deemed fully immunized. At this moment, a booster shot is not required. The last medication has to be taken within 14 days after landing in Canada. Travelers must use the ArriveCAN app to upload proof of immunization.
(Source CIC News)
