As COVID cases decline, Canada will settle travel requirements.
As COVID-19 cases decline, Canada will ease entry for fully vaccinated international travelers beginning Feb. 28, allowing a rapid antigen test for travelers rather than a molecular one, officials said on Tuesday.
The new measures, including random testing for vaccinated visitors entering Canada, were announced at a briefing by federal government ministers.
According to Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, Canada will monitor conditions to eliminate coronavirus testing requirements for fully vaccinated Canadians who travel abroad for less than 72 hours, typically to the United States.
"These changes are achievable not only because we have passed Omicron's peak but also because Canadians across the country have listened to science and experts," Duclos told reporters.
According to the health ministry, approximately 80% of Canadians are fully vaccinated, and more than 40% have received a booster dose.
The global travel advisory for Canadians is being updated as well. Previously, the government advised citizens to avoid all non-essential travel, but now it only urges them to exercise caution.
"While today's announcement brings us one step closer to where our industry needs to be, by requiring pre-departure rapid antigen tests, the government passed up an opportunity to align with other international jurisdictions that have removed pre-departure test requirements for fully vaccinated travelers," the Canadian Travel and Tourism Association said.
"Today's information by the federal government is a phase forward both for travelers, our industry, and the Canadian economy, which relies on trade and tourism," said Suzanne Acton-Gervais, interim president of the National Airlines Council of Canada.
As coronavirus infection rates fall, several provinces, including Alberta, Saskatchewan, Quebec, and, on Monday, Ontario, Canada's most populous province, have announced a relaxation of restrictions imposed during the pandemic.
Ontario said it would accelerate its plan to eliminate proof-of-vaccination requirements and lift pandemic-related capacity limits for many businesses. At the same time, Alberta, the western province, ended mask requirements for schoolchildren on Monday.