Canada is lifting all Covid-19 border and travel restrictions

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government will end its mandatory vaccination, testing and quarantine requirements for international travelers at the end the month. 

The removal of border restrictions puts Canada alongside dozens of countries in entering a new phase of the Covid-19 pandemic by ending measures meant to slow the spread of the virus.

From Oct. 1, all travelers entering Canada will no longer be required to provide proof of vaccination, undergo testing, quarantine or isolate, or submit public health information to the government’s app or website, officials said Monday morning in Ottawa.

Masking requirements on domestic planes and trains will also be lifted, and cruise passengers won’t be required to have pre-boarding tests or be vaccinated. 

Since earlier this year, Canada has been gradually lifting its Covid-related restrictions to fully reopen its economy, with travel measures being the last set of rules to remain in place.

“Thanks largely to Canadians who have rolled up their sleeves to get vaccinated, we have reached the point where we can safely lift the sanitary measures at the border,” Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said in a statement. 

The virus is, however, still circulating, he warned. “So I encourage everyone to stay up-to-date with their Covid-19 vaccination, including booster doses and exercise individual public health measures.”