Canada lifts vaccination requirements for domestic travelers and transport workers.

 

You no longer need to be fully vaccinated when traveling by plane or train in Canada, but the mask requirement still applies.

Starting at 00:01 Eastern Time on June 20, Canada will suspend vaccination requirements for domestic and international travel, state-regulated transportation and federal government employees.

Canadian government officials say the suspension of the vaccination mission reflects an improving public health situation in Canada. Almost 90 per cent of Canadians have been vaccinated against COVID-19, and the number of cases has been declining.

Existing vaccination regulations continue to apply at the border as the corona virus continues to spread around the world and the risk of contagion varies from country to country. These requirements include isolation and testing requirements for Canadians who are not fully vaccinated.

Vaccination requirements for cruise ship passengers and crew remain in effect. Other public health measures, such as wearing masks, still apply on planes and trains. The Canadian government has said it may re-enforce vaccinations if the public health situation warrants it.

Beginning October 30, 2021, travelers must be fully vaccinated on all Canadian federal transportation, with some flexibility for the next 30 days, unvaccinated travelers can demonstrate a negative COVID-19 test . At the time, Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said it was designed to protect commuters and workers in the industry.

However, with the advent of Omicron variants, experts have questioned the validity of travel vaccination requirements. The most contagious variants require a third dose for effective protection, said Theresa Tam, Canada's director of public health. To be considered fully vaccinated, travelers still need two doses of an approved COVID-19 vaccine or one from Johnson & Johnson.

Canada is also suspending random testing for COVID-19 at all airports between Saturday, June 11, 2022, and Thursday, June 30, 2022, to control congestion. Unvaccinated travelers will continue to be tested on-site. All testing will be off-site starting July 1.