Listen Live
Listen Live

Border travel restrictions easing for fully-vaccinated Canadians as of July 5th

OTTAWA, ON – Fully-vaccinated Canadians will be allowed to travel abroad with reduced health measures when coming back home beginning in early July.

The federal government is finally relaxing some pandemic restrictions at the border.

Public Safety Minister, Bill Blair said on Monday the changes coming into effect on July 5th only apply right now to Canadians and permanent residents who have two doses of an approved COVID-19 vaccine.

He says it is your responsibility to plan ahead and to make sure you have all the right documents.

“Fully-vaccinated travellers will no longer have to quarantine or complete the eight day test,” said Blair. “To benefit from these reduced public health obligations, fully-vaccinated travellers must submit their vaccination information using the arriveCAN app before arriving at the Canadian border. There are no changes to our current border measures for those who are not fully-vaccinated.”

For these new measures to apply to them, fully-vaccinated Canadian travellers must still meet all other mandatory requirements, including pre and on-arrival testing.

Fully-vaccinated Canadians coming to Canada can skip the government-required quarantine in a designated hotel as of July 5th as well. This exemption will also apply to non-vaccinated children under 18 or dependent adults travelling with vaccinated people.

Also, as of right now, anyone approved for permanent residency may travel to Canada.

Under the previous rules, those who held a valid confirmation of permanent residency issued after March 18, 2020 could only come to Canada if they met another exemption or were coming from the U.S. to settle permanently in Canada.

As for international travellers wanting to visit Canada, they will still be turned away, at least for a couple more weeks. Blair says travel to Canada remains off limits to foreign nationals, including U.S. citizens until at least July 21st

“A phased approached will allow us to ease border measures with a decreasing risk (of transmitting COVID-19) and will take in vaccination thresholds and modelling forecasts as well as public health criteria,” stated Blair on Monday.

Patrick Siedlecki
Patrick Siedlecki
Pat has been a mainstay in the CJOC News department from the time the station launched in 2007. He's been in the position of News Director since then and has been anchoring daily news casts as well as reporting and working behind the scenes. Community is important to him and keeping CJOC listeners and readers informed about what's happening across southern Alberta and beyond. Pat has been in radio broadcasting for the past 24 years, starting in Port Alberni on Vancouver Island in 1997 and then moving up island to Nanaimo for another few years before heading to Lethbridge in 2007. Pat grew up in the small Saskatchewan farming town of Foam Lake. After high school, he went to Western Academy Broadcasting College (WABC) in Saskatoon prior to moving to the island. Pat also spent several years broadcasting hockey in the BCHL as well as seven years as the radio voice of the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the WHL. Pat has been working at Cornerstone Funeral Home in Lethbridge as a Certified Life Celebrant and Funeral Assistant since 2016. News and sports have always been Pat's passion from the time he was a teenager and he's always been grateful to have had the opportunity to make that part of what's been a fun and long radio career!
- Advertisement -

cjoc Now playing play

ckbd Now playing play

Related Articles

- Advertisement -

Latest News

Waterton Park singer/songwriter’s ‘Fault Lines,’ includes homage to Alberta living

Kyle Owen’s brand-new solo album Fault Lines “explores emotional vulnerability through a rich blend of raw textures, recorded on old instruments that lend the project a weathered, intimate warmth.” 

Understanding business needs, desires important for City of Lethbridge

A new business survey has been launched by the City of Lethbridge to better understand the goals, challenges and needs of local businesses. 

One fatal accidental drug poisoning reported in February

There was one accidental fatal accidental drug poisoning report in Lethbridge in February.

RCMP investigate suspicious death near Cardston

The RCMP's Major Crimes unit is investigating after the...

UPDATE: Police asking for help locating man wanted on Canada-wide warrant

Lethbridge Police are asking the public on to locate a man wanted on a Canada-wide warrant.
- Advertisement -