The federal government announced today it plans to let fully vaccinated tourists visit Canada again soon.
Ottawa now says that — starting Aug. 9 at 12:01 a.m. ET. — fully vaccinated U.S. citizens and permanent residents living in that country will be able to visit Canada without having to quarantine for two weeks.
The government said it plans to allow fully vaccinated travellers from all other countries to enter Canada on Sept. 7.
A government official speaking on background to journalists today said that, as of Aug. 9, children under 12 — who aren’t yet approved to receive a vaccine — will be exempt from the quarantine requirement after entering Canada and can move around with their parents if they follow public health measures.
The official said those children should avoid group settings such as school, camps and daycares — especially indoor ones.
How that restriction applies to tourist destinations remains unclear.
The key here is for parents or any travellers coming to Canada to understand what are the requirements and plan accordingly,
said the official.
It is possible that they are attending tourist locations or activities — as long as things are outdoors, I think the risks are limited.
Proof of vaccination
Foreign visitors would also have to follow provincial and territorial public health measures.
Adults entering will need to present proof (in either English or French) that they’ve received a complete round of one of the vaccines approved for use in Canada. That means two doses of either the Pfizer, Moderna or AstraZeneca products, or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, at least 14 days before arriving.
All travellers must use the government’s ArriveCAN portal to submit their information. If they meet the government’s criteria, they will not have to quarantine upon arrival in Canada.
Travellers will still need to get a COVID-19 molecular test result before they arrive in Canada.
However, the government announced today that it plans to launch a new surveillance program at airports and land border crossings starting Aug. 9. Fully vaccinated travellers will not need a post-arrival test unless they have been randomly selected to complete a COVID-19 molecular test.
