Several offices from the government of Canada have announced that new, slightly loosened rules will be coming into effect for international travel into Canada beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 28, 2022. The announcement was made yesterday by Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, explaining the new rules.
Fully vaccinated travellers entering Canada, starting Feb. 28, will still be required to take a pre-arrival test and present negative results on arrival.
The biggest change is that travellers will now have the choice between taking a pre-arrival molecular test (like as a PCR test) within 72 hours of arrival OR instead taking an authorized rapid antigen test, so long as it is taken no more than 24 hours before their scheduled flight or arrival at Canada's land border.
Also, beginning Feb. 28, unvaccinated children under the age of 12 entering Canada with fully vaccinated parents will no longer have to avoid going to school, daycare or other crowded settings for 14 days after arriving.
"Recent data indicates that the latest wave of COVID-19 driven by the Omicron variant has passed its peak in Canada," says a press release. "As provinces and territories adjust their public health measures, and as we transition away from the crisis phase, it is now time to move towards a more sustainable approach to long-term management of COVID-19."
Fully vaccinated travellers can still be randomly selected for a PCR test upon arrival. Duclos said the arrival testing program would remain in effect, but as of Feb. 28, travellers will no longer have to quarantine while waiting for their test results.
Duclos said in his announcement yesterday, "For two years now, our government’s actions in the fight against COVID-19 have been based on prudence and science. Today’s announcements are a reflection of the progress we have made against this current Omicron variant."
"The return to mandatory random testing of all vaccinated travellers," he continues, "will facilitate travel for Canadians all while helping our public health authorities to detect future changes in COVID-19 importation rates and variants of concern. As we have said all along, Canada’s border measures will remain flexible and adaptable, for potential future scenarios.”
More information about today's announcement is available here directly from the Government of Canada's website.