by Jim Byers
Last updated: 12:48 PM ET, Wed June 9, 2021
The federal government says it will allow Canadian citizens and permanent residents coming into Canada by air to avoid staying at a quarantine hotel if they're fully vaccinated. The mandatory 14-day quarantine also has been eliminated for fully vaccinated Canadians who fly or drive into the country.
The rules will apply to Canadians and permanent residents who have proof of getting two COVID-19 approved vaccine doses. The new policy does not apply to visitors from other countries.
Fully vaccinated travellers will still have to take a COVID-19 test before they fly and again after arriving in Canada, and will have to present a quarantine plan. Those travellers can then isolate at home until that test result comes back negative.
Public Health officials said the same policy would apply to fully vaccinated Canadians coming into Canada by car
Health Minister Patty Hajdu said she hopes the rules will come into effect the first week in July.
It's a big win for Canadian consumers, as many would-be travellers were scared away by the idea of an expensive and inconvenient quarantine hotel, which was costing some people more than $2,000.
Critics said the policy is nice for Canadians who want to leave the country for travel, but that it does nothing to help Canadian tourism.
"The news of new border measures for fully vaccinated Canadians and permanent residents is a move in the right direction," said the Canadian Airports Council. "Canada's airports are disappointed the new measures were not extended to all vaccinated travellers and that there is still no plan for a restart of travel.
"Canada urgently needs a plan to end hotel quarantines, end the funneling of international flights to just four airports, detailed engagement on how travellers will (be) treated based on vaccination level, progress on digital health certificates, and a shift in messaging that Canadians can travel."
"Easing quarantine restrictions for fully vaccinated Canadians is an initial step in the right direction for the safe restart of our economy, but it falls far short of the recommendations provided by Health Canada's Expert Advisory Panel report released on May 27," said Mike McNaney, President and CEO of the National Airlines Council of Canada, which represents Canada's largest airlines.
McNaney noted that a recent Health Canada Advisory Panel report called for a variety of changes to travel and border measures including elimination of quarantine for fully vaccinated travellers, elimination of hotel quarantine for all travellers, reduction of quarantine for partially vaccinated and unvaccinated travellers, and the use of rapid antigen testing.
"Today's announcement by federal ministers did not address any of those measures nor provide a timeframe in which the government will move forward on the recommendations," he said.
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