Canada To Scrap Quarantine For Some Fully Vaccinated Travelers

From midnight July 5th, Canadian citizens and permanent residents who have received two shots of a vaccine approved by Canada will be able to enter the country, foregoing the obligatory two-week quarantine granted they test negative for COVID. However, the authorities say they want to wait until at least 75% of the eligible population has been fully vaccinated before opening the borders for other international travelers.

Fully-vaccinated Canadians will soon be able to skip quarantine when returning back home. Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

Two shots, two tests

After over a week of tentatively inching towards the decision, Canadian officials said Monday that starting at 23:59 Eastern time on July 5th, fully vaccinated Canadian travelers who test negative for COVID will be exempt from quarantine. Those traveling by air will also no longer need to isolate at a government-approved hotel for three days nor take a second test on day eight after the flight.

In order to be eligible to skip isolation, Candian citizens or permanent residents must have been fully vaccinated 14 days or more prior to the day of arrival. They must also take a first PCR test no more than 72 hours before landing back in Canada. This must be followed by a second test after arrival. Passengers must also have a quarantine plan in place in case the test should come back positive.

Up until now, travelers who arrive by air must isolate for three days at a hotel and then quarantine for the remainder of the required two weeks. Photo: Getty Images

Those who wish to skip quarantine must provide proof of having received two doses of a vaccine approved by the Canadian authorities. Documents supporting the travelers’ vaccination status must be uploaded to an app called ArriveCAN or to a government website at Canada.ca/ArriveCAN.

The vaccines approved by Canada are currently those of Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, and Astra Zeneca. The vaccine certificate must be in English or French or otherwise be accompanied by a verified translation.

Long way to go for tourism

Meanwhile, this much-awaited first phase of reopening Canada’s borders continues to allow entry to foreign nationals only for strictly essential reasons. A ban on non-essential cross-border travel between Canada and the US was also recently extended until July 21st. 

Officials have stated that they are waiting for around 75% of Canadians to be fully vaccinated before opening international travel to tourists and business travelers again. Currently, 66% of the population has received at least one dose, while close to 19% have received both doses.

Canadian authorities want 75% of the eligible population to be fully vaccinated before properly reopening borders for international travel. Photo: Getty Images

India flight ban extended one more month

Furthermore, the flight ban from India will remain in place for one more month. However, the suspension of flights from Pakistan will be lifted. The ban was first introduced on April 22nd and was set to end today. However, as cases of the so-called Delta variant, first discovered in India, continue to rise in all of Canada’s provinces, it has now been prolonged until July 21st.

Have you waited to travel to Canada? Has quarantine made a difference to your plans? Leave a comment below and let us know. 

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