Canada has eased its entry requirements for fully vaccinated international travelers from Monday, February 28th.
Canada's decision to ease travel rules follows a decline in COVID-19 cases the country has witnessed.
The federal government minister at a briefing says "It will be allowing a rapid antigen test for travelers instead of a molecular one, as antigen tests are cheaper and can provide results within minutes, as opposed to the molecular test."
"The country will consider dropping coronavirus testing requirements for fully vaccinated Canadians who make short trips less than 72 hours abroad, especially to the United States." The Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos says.
the Canadian government which has previously advised against all non-essential travel is now urging its citizens to take precautions.
According to the health minister, “these changes are possible not only because we have passed the peak of Omicron, but because Canadians across the country have listened to the science and to experts”.
the Canadian Travel and Tourism Roundtable industry group also said in a statement that “though the announcement brings us one step closer to where our industry needs to be, in requiring pre-departure rapid antigen tests, the government missed an opportunity to align with other international jurisdictions that removed pre-departure test requirements for fully vaccinated travelers.”
Canadian provinces, like Alberta, Saskatchewan, Quebec, and Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, have announced the relaxation of imposed restrictions during the pandemic due to the decline in infection rates.
Ontario says it will speed up its plan to remove proof-of-vaccination requirements and lift pandemic-related capacity limits for many businesses, while the western province of Alberta ended its mask requirements for school children on Monday.
The interim president of the National Airlines Council of Canada, Suzanne Acton-Gervais, has commended the government for the decision it took to drop the travel rules, saying is a step forward for travelers, the industry, and the Canadian economy, which relies on trade and tourism.”
Credit: nairametrics
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