Shomporko Online News Desk: The organization in charge of guarding Canada’s borders has issued a warning to would-be visitors: if you aren’t qualified to enter the country today, you won’t be on Monday.
As it prepares for the preliminary lifting of COVID-19 travel restrictions next week, the Canada Border Services Agency is sending a clear message.
Fully vaccinated Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be exempt from quarantine restrictions when they enter the nation after midnight Sunday night.
However, the exemption only applies to those eligible travellers who have gone 14 days since receiving a full course of one of the four vaccines approved for use in Canada.
It also requires travellers to use the ArriveCAN app or online service to log their vaccination details and COVID-19 test results prior to departure.
Denis Vinette, CBSA’s vice-president, travellers branch, calls it a very cautious, early first step in the process of easing restrictions that have been in place since March 2020.
“What’s not changing are the current restrictions to travel to Canada; I think that’s kind of the first key thing that folks need to understand,” Vinette said in an interview.
“If you were unable to come to Canada on July 4 of this year, you can’t come in on July 5. There’s been no change to all of the restrictions and the provisions that have been issued on that front.”
Nor will the quarantine requirements be waived for travellers who arrive in Canada prior to Monday, the agency noted.
The ArriveCAN portal can be accessed either via the Apple or Android app or online via the federal government’s website at canada.ca.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he’s confident the border agency has the tools and the personnel required to deal with the changes Monday, adding that the government’s priority will always be the safety of its citizens.
“I think it’s really important that we are moving forward on allowing people who are currently allowed to come into Canada to be able to do so and not have to quarantine anymore because they’re double-vaccinated,” he said.
“For others, we will be looking at how this works before we open up to next steps, but we will continue to put first and foremost the safety and security of Canadians at the top of everything we do.”
The mutual travel restrictions between Canada and the United States — which prohibit all discretionary travel between the two countries while continuing to allow the movement of trade, essential workers and international students — are due to expire July 21.
Trudeau said it’s too early to predict how the laws will change by then.
“When we reopen so Americans and others who are properly vaccinated may enter Canada, it will depend on how this goes – on the data we acquire, on how we can keep Canadians safe while making changes to the rules.”
He noted that now is not the time to be complacent: despite having more than 70% of its population completely vaccinated, Yukon is experiencing its highest rise of infections since the pandemic began.
“Every step of the way, we will ensure the safety of Canadians.”
Source_ The Canadain Press
