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Canada further relaxes Covid-related travel restrictions
Canadian authorities on Friday further relaxed Covid-related travel requirements for passengers, including those from India, like dropping the need to provide a quarantine plan or having to remain masked in public places for a period of 14 days after arrival
Canadian authorities on Friday further relaxed Covid-related travel requirements for passengers, including those from India, like dropping the need to provide a quarantine plan or having to remain masked in public places for a period of 14 days after arrival.
However, federal authorities have not removed the mask mandate. “All travellers, regardless of vaccination status, must also continue to wear a mask throughout their entire travel journey,” a statement issued by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) said.
Canada “continues to take a measured approach to adjust border measures,” Canada’s health minister Jean-Yves Duclos tweeted.
The new measures will come into effect on Monday at 1am (10.30am IST).
Fully-vaccinated travellers coming to Canada will no longer have to monitor and report if they develop signs or symptoms; quarantine if another traveller in the same travel group exhibits signs or symptoms or tests positive; or maintain a list of close contacts and locations visited.
While negative test results are not required for those considered fully vaccinated, those unvaccinated or partially vaccinated will still have to provide pre-entry results prior to boarding a flight for a Canadian destination.
That requirement, however, has been waived for unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children between 5 and 11 who are accompanied by a fully vaccinated parent, step-parent, guardian or tutor.
Children below 5 are already exempted from the test result requirement.
“All travellers, regardless of vaccination status, must also continue to wear a mask throughout their entire travel journey,” a statement said.
“The health and safety of Canadians remains our top priority and as vaccination levels and healthcare system capacity improve, we will continue to consider further easing of measures at the borders based on science,” Duclos said in the statement.
All travellers eligible to enter Canada who do not qualify as fully vaccinated will continue to be tested with Covid-19 molecular tests on arrival and on Day 8, and will need to quarantine for 14 days.
