Health

Government Confirms Suspension of Vaccination Mandate in Many Settings

Today, the Federal Government announced that it will suspend vaccination requirements for domestic and outbound travel, federally regulated transportation sectors and federal government employees.

As of June 20, 2022, at 00:01 EDT, evidence of vaccination will no longer be a requirement to board a plane or train in Canada. However other public health measures, such as wearing a mask, will continue to apply and will be enforced throughout a traveller’s journey on a plane or train except for brief periods when eating or drinking.

Given the unique nature of cruise ships, including the fact that passengers are in close contact with each other for extended periods of time, vaccination against COVID-19 is still required for passengers and crew members.

Passengers will be expected to follow the masking requirements and other hygiene measures as directed by the ship’s crew, regardless of whether they are foreign or domestic.

In addition to these measures, the Government of Canada is no longer moving forward with the proposal to make vaccinations mandatory in all federally regulated workplaces. Employers in federally regulated air, rail and marine sectors will no longer be required to have mandatory vaccination policies in place for their employees. They will be responsible for establishing return-to-work practices.

While the suspension of vaccine mandates reflects an improved public health situation in Canada, the COVID-19 virus continues to evolve and circulate in Canada and globally. Given this context, and because vaccination rates and virus control in other countries varies significantly, current vaccination requirements at the border will remain in effect.

Canadian citizens and Canadian permanent residents returning from international destinations who do not qualify for the fully vaccinated traveller exemption continue to be required to provide a valid pre-entry test result. They remain subject to Day 1 and Day 8 molecular testing, and quarantine for 14 days.

In addition, all travellers entering Canada are required to input their mandatory information in ArriveCAN within 72 hours before their arrival in Canada.

Travellers who arrive without completing their ArriveCAN submission may be subject to Day 1, Day 8 molecular testing, quarantine for 14 days, and to fines or other enforcement actions, regardless of their vaccination status.

Foreign nationals who are not fully vaccinated continue to be prohibited entry into Canada. With the suspension of the domestic mandate, unvaccinated foreign nationals will continue to be able to depart Canada by plane or train.

Photo by Alin Luna on Unsplash

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