Canada Lifts All Vaccine, Quarantine, and Mask Requirements for Travel

After two and a half long years, the end is finally here: as of Saturday, October 1, 2022, Canada will be lifting all border restrictions related to the pandemic.

This includes proof of COVID-19 vaccination, arrival testing, quarantine and isolation requirements, and the mandatory use of the ArriveCAN app. Additionally, masks will no longer be mandatory on planes and trains.

Canadian Travel is Back to Normal

The federal government has let the special orders, which have authorized these exceptional pandemic measures under the Quarantine Act, expire as of October 1.

With so many measures in place, this move will have a major impact on Canadian travel returning to normal.

Travellers will no longer be subject to random COVID-19 testing upon arrival, or mandatory testing prior to arrival. They also won’t have to monitor for COVID-19 symptoms after arrival.

Additionally, unvaccinated Canadians can return without a period of isolation. Combined with the end of testing requirements, this means that there will be no more quarantine for arriving travellers.

Furthermore, foreigners won’t need to be vaccinated to enter Canada. Of course, they must still meet all of the usual entry requirements and have proper travel and immigration documentation.

With all of these restrictions being lifted, there is no longer a need for the ArriveCAN app. The app’s purpose was to track vaccination requirements, testing requirements, and quarantine plans, but as none of those are required anymore, the ArriveCAN app will be optional.

Finally, it will no longer be mandatory to wear masks on planes and trains.

The End of Travel Restrictions

The government’s decision to drop all COVID-19 travel restrictions is a reflection of an abundance of vaccines, tests, and treatments, Canada’s high vaccination and low hospitalization and death rates, and modelling showing that we are well past the peak of the most recent wave of infections.

This brings our policies in line with most of the world, including many Western countries who had already long ago dropped their vaccination, testing, health forms, and quarantine requirements, as per the aforementioned reasoning.

If anything, we were overdue, and it’s a relief to see Canada returning not only to normal, but to an alignment with similar countries around the world. These measures, once useful, have overstayed their welcome and are past serving their purpose.

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