Federal COVID-19-related requirements for travellers could be lifted soon.
The Globe and Mail, citing unnamed sources, said the federal government plans to drop a vaccination requirement for people entering Canada, end random testing, and make use of the ArriveCan app optional.
The federal cabinet has been discussing whether to renew the measures, which are to expire on Sept. 30.
A senior government official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss matters not made public, told the Canadian Press that no decision has been made.
Under the existing rules, foreign nationals are typically not allowed to travel to Canada unless they have completed a primary series of an approved COVID-19 vaccine, unless they qualify for an exception.
Unvaccinated travellers who are allowed to enter Canada are subject to mandatory arrival tests and a 14-day quarantine.
Vaccinated travellers might also be selected for mandatory random testing — a system that public health officials have used as an “early warning system” for new variants of the virus entering the country.
The federal government has gradually scaled back COVID-19 travel restrictions over the course of the spring and summer, as booster shots became more widely available in Canada.
Cabinet “suspended” vaccine mandates for domestic travel in June, but Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc warned at the time COVID-19 vaccinations could become a requirement again if cases surged in the fall.
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