The federal Health Minister is taking what she calls a prudent approach to relaxing border restrictions for U.S. citizens.
Fully-vaccinated U.S. travellers will be able to cross starting August 9th, but will still require proof of a negative COVID-19 test.
Patty Hajdu indicates the government is keeping a close eye on the evolution of the virus in the U.S. and other countries.
“We know that variants continue to arise, and that if the virus presents us with an even more dangerous variant that’s vaccine-avoidant, we may have to make changes at the border as well,” Hajdu points out.
Hajdu expects that the two-week partial quarantine period for U.S. citizens under age 12 will stay in place for now.
Children can cross with a fully-vaccinated adult, but will be required to avoid places like camps, daycares and schools after they arrive.
“Given that there isn’t a way to protect those children through the use of vaccination, those rules will stay in place, and when our public health advisors suggest that we need to look at different approaches, we’ll do that,” she notes.
Hajdu also maintains that the government is trying to make this process as efficient as possible, despite some tourism outfitters saying the restrictions are difficult to deal with.
“That will make things much more efficient at the border, and that would include things like the pre-[departure] test and their proof of vaccination,” Hajdu says. “Those rules are in place for a reason. We want to make sure that people are complying with the kind of screening mechanisms that will ensure the safety of Canadians.”
The border rules will relax for citizens of other nations starting September 9th.
