Canada announces relaxation of some travel restrictions after passing the vaccination threshold

Canada announces relaxation of some travel restrictions after passing the vaccination threshold

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The federal government is scheduled to announce on Monday that it will relax some border restrictions on fully vaccinated Canadians and permanent residents, but said the “finish line” will not come until Canada’s vaccination rates increase significantly.

Public Security Secretary Bill Blair told CBC Chief Political Correspondent Rosemary Barton in an interview broadcast on Sunday that changes to border restrictions will be limited to a few measures and still discourage all non-essential travel. Rosemary Button live broadcast.

“Government-sponsored hotels will change, and perhaps what it means for who will be quarantined, fully vaccinated travelers, and now it is possible to vaccinate those who are actually, fully vaccinated,” Blair said.

Ottawa announced on Friday that it will continue to impose existing restrictions on the Canada-US border for at least one month until July 21, but on Monday it will make adjustments to fully vaccinated Canadians and permanent residents.

As the border policy shifts, many provinces in Canada have reached key vaccination goals-more than 75% of eligible Canadians have received at least one dose, and more than 20% have received two doses.

The Rainbow Bridge spans the Niagara River and connects Niagara Falls, New York (on the left) with Niagara Falls, Ontario. On Friday, restrictions on non-essential travel were extended for another month, but Ottawa will announce Monday that it will relax restrictions on fully vaccinated Canadians and permanent residents. (Jeffrey T. Barnes/Associated Press)

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Pressure from both sides of the border

The mayors of Canadian border cities often call out loudly for the federal government to provide more information.

Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley told Patton that he thinks it makes sense to extend the restriction to late July, but that better communication is needed.

“So far, all we have got is information leakage. We want to see a clear plan, a clear plan that Canadians can understand,” he said.

Bradley added that he has always believed that fully vaccinated travelers should be able to cross the border more easily, but “all of this may follow [COVID-19] Variants. I hope this will not happen. People are tired, people are irritable. They want to return to our normal life. I hope to pass double vaccination, which will be the ticket to do so. “

At the same time, elected officials in the United States Violent reaction The news of the extension of border measures was announced on Friday.

“I hope there is a more ingenious way to express this – but it’s nonsense,” said Democratic Rep. Brian Higgins, whose Buffalo area borders the border.

Blair stated that the government is “cautiously but steadily working towards a phased reopening.”

But the Minister of Public Safety warned that Canada will not reach the “finish line” until approximately 75% of eligible Canadians are fully vaccinated.

This is a number from the Public Health Agency of Canada quoted As a moment when major restrictions (such as restrictions on indoor gatherings outside the home) can be safely removed and Blair said there are more “possible changes” at the border. He did not specify what these changes were.

Blair also reiterated that the government remains cautious when considering changes to border policies and pays close attention to various worrying situations.Government officials Said border measures Will respond to the changing epidemiological situation.

He said: “We are moving towards these goals and I think we are making changes that are suitable for the current level of vaccination.”

“We have reached an important benchmark, but we have not yet reached the finish line.”

More passengers are expected after the rule changes

Blair told Patton that he expects the changes in the rules for fully vaccinated travelers will affect the number of people coming to Canada, and he has been working with PHAC and border services to ensure appropriate capabilities.

Blair said: “I’m absolutely sure this will have an impact on the number of tourists,” adding that there may be many Canadians considering going to the United States to take care of property.

To determine whether travelers returning to Canada have been fully vaccinated, Blair reiterated that the government is coordinating the vaccine verification system for international travel with international partners including the United States and European countries.

“We are working with our global partners, especially with the United States, to develop a vaccine certification system that will be very effective, and can be accessed and used appropriately-with appropriate personal privacy issues in mind.”

But as a “temporary” measure, Blair said that the ArriveCAN application currently used at the border will be modified to allow it to accept vaccine verification documents.

“We believe this application will help us adapt to the inevitable growth in the number of passengers,” he said.

You can watch the full episode of Rosemary Barton Live CBC Gem, CBC’s streaming media service.


Have questions about this story? We answer as many as possible in the comments.




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