Border Changes: Announcement coming today

Ministers and Officials of the Government of Canada will announce today (July 19) changes to border measures to protect the health of Canadians from COVID-19.

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) says the announcements will be made at a virtual press conference at 1:30 p.m., preceded by a technical briefing at 11:30 a.m.

On June 18, the Government of Canada announced that restrictions on non-essential international travel as well as restrictions on travel with the United States would be extended (at least) until July 21. Since then, there have been increasing calls for restrictions not to be further extended or at least relaxed.

In fact, last Thursday (July 15), Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada could begin allowing fully vaccinated U.S. citizens and permanent residents to enter Canada starting in mid-August on non-essential travel. In addition, fully vaccinated travellers from all countries could do the same by early September.

In any case, however, these relaxations would be conditional "on vaccination rates and public health conditions continuing to evolve positively," said the Prime Minister, who was speaking during the 33rd teleconference with the premiers of the provinces and territories on the response to COVID-19.

As of July 5, as part of the first phase of the process to relax border measures for travellers entering Canada, fully vaccinated travellers authorized to enter Canada are no longer subject to the federal requirement to quarantine or be tested for COVID-19 on the eighth day after arrival. In addition, fully vaccinated air travellers are not required to stay in a government-authorized hotel.

READ MORE – Restrictions on int'l travel, Canada-U.S. border extended to July 21; Trudeau talks vaccine certificates

READ MORE – Canada-U.S. border will open “eventually,” says Trudeau

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