Testing no longer required to enter Canada next month

Written By Paula Brown

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Fully vaccinated travellers will no longer need to provide a pre-entry COVID-19 test result to enter Canada as of April 1. 

The federal government announced in a press conference last Thursday (March 17) it would be eliminating the testing requirement for fully vaccinated travellers entering into the county by air, land or water. 

“Adjustments to Canada's border measures are made possible by a number of factors, including Canada's high vaccination rate, the increasing availability and use of rapid tests to detect infection, decreasing hospitalizations and growing domestic availability of treatments for COVID-19,” said Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health. “As vaccination levels and healthcare system capacity improve, we will continue to consider further easing of measures at the borders – and when to adjust those measures -to keep the people in Canada safe.”

While pre-arrival COVID-19 testing requirements will change by the start of April, fully vac-cinated passengers arriving to Canada from any country may still be subjected to mandatory random testing. 

The government said traveller selected for the random testing are not required to quarantine while awaiting test results. 

For unvaccinated or partially vaccinated travellers the pre-entry testing requirement are not changing. 

Unless otherwise exempt, all travellers five years of age or older who do not qualify as fully vaccinated must continue to provide an accepted type of pre-entry COVID-19 test resulting including:

• A valid negative antigen test administered or observed by an accredited lab or testing provider no more than one day before initial scheduled flight departure
or arrival;

• A valid negative molecular test taken no more than 72 hours before initial schedule flight departure or arrival;

• A previous positive molecular test taken at least 10 days and no more than 180 days be-fore scheduled flight departure or arrival. Positive antigen test results will not be accepted. 

The government said, fully vaccinated travellers travelling in Canada before April 1 will still need to show a valid pre-entry test. 

Despite the lifting of the pre-entry COVID-19 test all travellers will still be required to submit their mandatory information on the ArriveCAN app before their arrival in Canada. 

Travellers who arrive without completing the submission may have to test on arrival and quar-antine for 14 days regardless of their vaccination status. People travelling on cruises or planes must submit their information within 72 hours before boarding.