Travelers will no longer need to show proof of vaccination or use the ArriveCan app to enter Canada
The Canadian government has announced that it will remove the vaccine requirement for all travelers by October 1, 2022, and make the ArriveCan app optional.
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) states that effective October 1, 2022, all travelers, regardless of citizenship, will no longer have to:
- Submit public health information through the ArriveCAN app or website;
- Provide proof of vaccination;
- undergo testing prior or upon arrival;
- Quarantine or isolation related to COVID-19;
- Monitor and report if they develop signs or symptoms of COVID-19 upon arrival in Canada.
Additionally, masks will no longer be mandatory on flights or trains within Canada. PHAC says the removal of travel restrictions is due to Canada’s high vaccination rates, low hospitalization and mortality rates, as well as the availability and use of vaccine boosters. The government still strongly recommends that travelers continue to wear masks and monitor their health closely.
Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos says, “Thanks largely to Canadians who have up their sleeves for vaccinations, we have reached the point where we can safely lift sanitation measures at the border ” “However, we expect that COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses will continue to circulate throughout the colder months, so I encourage everyone to stay up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccinations, Including booster doses and individual public health measures.
Arrival may become optional
Arrivacan app will become optional for travelers coming from abroad. Travelers will no longer need to upload their travel plans and proof of vaccination to the app to show them to CBSA agents.
No need for domestic travel
The announcement was expected in response to the global outlook on the COVID-19 pandemic. Cases are seeing a decline as more and more people are vaccinated and the virus tends to be endemic like the common cold, rather than pandemic.
Canada has already suspended vaccination requirements for domestic and outbound travel since last June. At the time, government officials said the suspension of those vaccine mandates was a reflection of the improving public health situation, with 90% of Canadians already being vaccinated against COVID-19.
Globally, there have been more than 612 million recorded cases of COVID-19 and more than six million deaths since the start of the pandemic. These numbers are likely higher because many people do not get tested or otherwise diagnosed.