Fully vaccinated American citizens and permanent residents will be allowed to enter Canada for non-essential reasons beginning August 7 so long as Canada’s “COVID-19 epidemiology remains favourable” Ottawa said on Monday.
U.S. tourists have been banned from entering Canada throughout the pandemic but non-essential ‘discretionary’ travel will soon be permitted once again following the country’s success in vaccinating huge swathes of its population.
While U.S. tourists will get a head start to visit north of the border, travel restrictions will be lifted to all fully vaccinated tourists from around the world beginning September 7. To be considered fully vaccinated, visitors must have received the final dose of a vaccine currently approved by Canadian health officials at least 14-days before their arrival.
Canada has approved vaccines from: Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD, and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson). Unlike some countries, Canada accepts combining vaccines from different manufacturers but proof of vaccination must be presented in English or French, or with an officials translation.
Along with dropping a ban on non-essential travel, the Trudeau administration also said it would end a three-day hotel quarantine policy beginning August 7. Pre-departure testing requirements will remain in force and some travelers will be selected at random to undergo testing upon arrival.
Travelers were, however, warned to come armed with a quarantine plan should they be required to isolate during their time in Canada.
And while Canada will soon be ready to welcome foreign tourists, Canadian citizens have been once again told to remain put over fears that varying vaccination and infection rates in other countries could put Canadians at risk.
“The Government of Canada continues to advise Canadians to avoid non-essential travel outside of Canada – international travel increases your risk of exposure to COVID-19 and its variants, as well as of spreading it to others,” the government said on Monday.
The press release continued: “Border measures also remain subject to change as the epidemiological situation evolves.”
August 9, not August 7 as stated in the article.