Effective October 30, passengers on flights and rail trips within Canada will have to provide proof of vaccination.
As of that date, all travellers ages 12 and older on flights leaving Canadian airports and people travelling on VIA Rail and Rocky Mountaineer trains must be fully vaccinated in order to board. Marine passengers on non-essential passenger vessels like cruise ships must also complete the vaccination series before travelling.
"Our message to unvaccinated travellers is clear: if you're planning to travel, you need to book your vaccination appointment now," a government official said.
It will be up to air, rail and marine operators to "establish processes to verify vaccine status," a government official said, adding they expect these companies to accept provincial vaccine passports as proof of status.
The government says a "pan-Canadian, secure, and standardized proof of vaccination for international travel" program is in the works, but details have not yet been announced.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made the official announcement this morning in Ottawa. The outline of the plan was announced in mid-August, just prior to the federal election call. A week ago, in his first major post-election press conference, Trudeau warned Canadians that travelling within our borders was about to change.
"You will not be able to travel on a plane or a train in Canada if you are not fully vaccinated," he said.
To qualify as a "fully vaccinated traveller," a person must have received a full series of a Health Canada-approved COVID-19 vaccine - a combination of approved shots is also acceptable - with the last dose having been administered at least 14 days prior to the day of travel. A "transition phase" will allow travellers to show a negative COVID-19 molecular test result instead of proof of vaccination up until Nov. 30.
For the latest insights on travel around the world, check out the interactive guide below:
Topics From This Article to Explore
