There are more signs today that the Justin Trudeau government is set to drop vaccine mandates and put an end to the unpopular ArriveCAN app, perhaps within the next two weeks. The mask mandate for flights within Canada also appears up for debate. Writing in the Toronto Sun today, columnist Brian Lilley reports that “The ArriveCan app may no longer be mandatory and other remaining travel requirements and restrictions for air travel in Canada could soon be removed. If all goes well, masking could even be made optional within the next few weeks.” Lilley said he’s had conversations with senior Read more
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An influential international airline travel group has again called on the Canadian government to urgently discontinue its COVID-19 related travel restrictions. “These are now out of step with the global trend of lifting travel restrictions and are partly responsible for the ongoing delays and disruption affecting air travelers across Canada,” the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said in a statement. “Canada has become a total outlier in managing COVID-19 and travel,” said Peter Cerda, IATA’s Regional Vice President for the Americas. “Though governments across the globe are rolling back restrictions, the Government of Canada is reinstating them.” IATA says the Read more
Mandatory random testing of fully vaccinated travellers arriving at some Canadian airports will resume today. Ottawa paused mandatory random testing for those entering Canada by air on June 11, 2022, as part of a broader strategy to transition testing for air travellers outside of the airports. But mandatory random tests resume Tuesday, July 19, 2022 for travellers who qualify as fully vaccinated. The rules apply to those arriving in Canada by air to the four major Canadian airports—Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Toronto. Health officials say air travellers who qualify as fully vaccinated and who are selected for mandatory random testing, Read more
Mandatory Random Testing For Air Arrivals to Canada Resumes Next Week: Tourism Group Blasts Decision
Mandatory random testing of fully vaccinated travellers will resume next Tuesday, and Canadian tourism officials aren’t happy about it. Ottawa paused mandatory random testing for those entering Canada by air on June 11, 2022, as part of a broader strategy to transition testing for air travellers outside of the airports. Mandatory random testing will resume as of July 19, 2022, for travellers who qualify as fully vaccinated, arriving in Canada by air to the four major Canadian airports—Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Toronto. To qualify as a fully vaccinated traveller to Canada, travellers must have been vaccinated with a primary series Read more
A top Canadian tourism official says he’s heartbroken over news that the Trudeau government is extending current border measures for travellers entering Canada. Christopher Bloore, president and CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario, said on Twitter (@ChrisBloore) that his “heart absolutely sank” when he read that current requirements for travellers arriving in Canada are likely to stay in place until at least September 30, 2022. “The tourism industry has NOT recovered. Our border towns and RBT operators are at breaking point. Beyond disappointed and worried for the future,” he said. Ottawa on Wednesday said that in addition to Read more
