Question Period Note: BORDER MEASURES

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) has put successive border measures in place, in response to COVID-19, under the Quarantine Act.

• Border measures are based on the available data, scientific evidence and monitoring of the epidemiological situation both in Canada and internationally.
• On April 1, 2022, Canada removed the pre-entry test requirement for fully vaccinated travellers and updated its travel requirements for travellers on cruise ships.
• The Government of Canada already adjusted its Travel Health Notice from a Level 3 to a Level 2. This means that the Government no longer recommends that Canadians avoid all travel for non-essential purposes.
• On April 25, 2022, Canada is easing additional border measures for fully vaccinated travellers, unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children aged 5-11 who are accompanied by a fully vaccinated parent or guardian, and travellers with a medical contraindication to COVID-19 vaccination.
• Travellers should understand the risks that are still associated with international travel and take necessary precautions.
• Canada’s border measures will remain flexible and adaptable, for potential future scenarios.
• Our first and foremost priority remains the health and safety of all people in Canada.

If pressed – Temporary pause of mandatory random testing at airports
• Moving testing for all air travellers out of the airports is the latest step in the Government of Canada’s approach to move COVID-19 testing health measures at Canada’s borders outside of airports.
• The Government of Canada recognizes that entry restrictions, testing and quarantine requirements place significant burdens on Canadians, their families and the Canadian economy. However, together, these measures remain the most effective means of monitoring the importation of new cases of COVID-19 and variants of concern and limiting their spread in Canada.
• Mandatory random testing remains an important part of the Government of Canada’s ability to monitor levels of COVID-19 importation and new COVID-19 variants of concern that could pose a risk to the health and safety of people in Canada and Canada’s ongoing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Mandatory random testing will continue to occur at land border points of entry across Canada, with no changes to the sampling approach and will resume in air on July 1st.

If pressed – Special Measures for Ukrainian Nationals
• The Public Health Agency of Canada is working closely with partners across government, including Global Affairs, Transport Canada and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to prioritize any measures needed to facilitate entry of Ukrainian refugees.
• Given the ongoing situation in Ukraine, some Ukrainian nationals are permitted to enter Canada even if they do not meet Canada’s definition of being fully vaccinated.
• All other testing and quarantine measures remain in place for travellers from Ukraine, including the pre-departure test requirement.

If pressed – children less than 12 years of age
• Children less than 12 years of age who are not fully vaccinated, but travelling with fully vaccinated adults no longer need to provide a pre-entry test or wait 14 days before they can attend school, daycare or camp.
• These children may be selected for mandatory random testing upon arrival; however, they are not required to quarantine while awaiting their Day 1 test result.
• Children 4 years of age or younger, children aged 5-11 who aren’t fully vaccinated, partially or unvaccinated children aged 12 and older, and fully vaccinated children can have different travel requirements for entering Canada and following their arrival. Travelling families are strongly encouraged to keep informed of the obligations of different family members prior to arrival in Canada. Final determination is made by government officials at the border, based on information provided at the time of entry. 

If pressed – cruise ship travel
• Travel requirements for travellers on cruise ships came into effect on April 1, 2022 to support the cruise ship industry restart in Canada.
o Cruise lines and passengers will need to adhere to strict requirements for testing at key checkpoints, and are required to report back to the Government of Canada.
o Subject to conditions, entry of positive and symptomatic fully vaccinated foreign nationals is permitted, so they can complete their quarantine/isolation at the end of the cruise.
o Time spent in isolation or quarantine on board the vessel will be considered when determining quarantine/isolation at the end of the cruise.
o Travellers on a cruise will be exempt from mandatory randomized testing upon disembarkation or if after disembarking when they arrive in Canada by land or air from a short cruise excursion (must be returning to the ship).

Fully vaccinated travellers

Canada allows entry of travellers from any country for discretionary reasons if they have been fully vaccinated with Government of Canada accepted vaccines at least 14 days prior to entering Canada, and if they also meet specific entry requirements.

As of April 25, 2022, fully vaccinated travellers must:
• submit all required COVID-19 information electronically into the free ArriveCAN app prior to travelling to Canada;
• be asymptomatic upon arrival;
• have a paper or digital copy of their proof of vaccination in English or French (or certified translation);

Foreign nationals who are travelling for non-essential/discretionary purposes must meet Canada’s definition of fully vaccinated in the context of border and travel requirements in order to be eligible for entry. Travellers who are not considered fully vaccinated may be denied boarding or entry.

Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated travellers

Unless otherwise exempt, all travellers 5 years of age or over who do not qualify as fully vaccinated must continue to provide proof of an accepted type of pre-entry COVID-19 test result:
• a valid negative antigen test, administered or observed by an accredited lab or testing provider, taken outside of Canada no more than one day before their initially scheduled flight departure time or their arrival at the land border or marine port of entry;
• a valid negative molecular test taken no more than 72 hours before their initially scheduled flight departure time or their arrival at the land border or marine port of entry; or
• a previous positive molecular test taken at least 10 calendar days and no more than 180 calendar days before their initially scheduled flight departure time or their arrival at the land border or marine port of entry.

All partially or unvaccinated travellers must have a quarantine plan, and unless otherwise exempted, will be required to quarantine for 14 days. They must also have a pre-departure, on-arrival and post-arrival test completed.

Partially or unvaccinated travellers will be allowed onward travel to their place of quarantine unless they are symptomatic, a close contact of a positive case and/or they do not have a suitable place of quarantine upon arrival. Partially or unvaccinated travellers who do not have a suitable place to quarantine may be directed to a federal designated quarantine facility.

Travel advisories

Effective February 28, 2022, the Government of Canada eased its Travel Health Notice from level 3 to 2. This change means that the Government no longer recommends that Canadians avoid non-essential travel to all destinations. Travellers are advised to understand the risks that are still associated with international travel, and take necessary precautions.

All eligible travellers should complete a COVID-19 vaccine series along with any additional recommended doses in Canada, at least 14 days before travelling.

Anyone who has not completed a COVID-19 vaccine series should continue to avoid non-essential travel to all destinations. Anyone who has not completed a vaccine series is at increased risk of becoming infected with and spreading the virus that causes COVID-19 when travelling internationally and is at greater risk for severe disease.

In considering whether to travel, travellers should consider the availability of medical services abroad, and plan for the potential high costs associated with medical treatment and extending their trip if they test positive for COVID-19 while abroad.

Travellers should also understand that there is also the risk that border and travel measures in other countries, and in Canada, may change while travellers are abroad. Travellers should regularly review the entry requirements and exemptions for their travel situation.

Enforcement

Compliance with border measures is subject to monitoring, verification and enforcement. If travellers do not comply, they may be transferred to a quarantine facility, face fines and/or imprisonment. Maximum penalties for failing to comply with an order under the Quarantine Act (e.g. the Quarantine, Isolation and Other Obligations Order) include a fine of up to $750,000 or imprisonment for six months, or both.

Additionally, the Contraventions Act gives law enforcement partners (including RCMP, provincial and local police) the power to issue tickets, with fines of up to $5,000 for different offences, to people who do not comply with the Quarantine Act (this does not apply in Alberta, Saskatchewan and the territories as these jurisdictions have not signed on to the contraventions regime).

In addition to the Quarantine Act, individuals can also be subject to fines, under Transport Canada’s Aeronautics Act, for non-compliance in relation to mandatory requirements prior to boarding a flight to Canada.

Key Facts
• As of April 1, 2022, fully vaccinated travellers, arriving at land, air or marine ports of entry are no longer required to complete a pre-entry test for entry to Canada but are still subject to mandatory randomized testing on arrival.
• As part of an established plan to move COVID-19 testing for all air travellers offsite, the Government of Canada will pause mandatory random testing (MRT) at all airports between June 11 at 12:01 a.m. EDT and June 30, 2022 as we transition to a model where testing occurs outside of airports.
• Unvaccinated travellers still have the option of using the results from a professionally observed or administered COVID-19 rapid antigen test taken no more than 1 day prior to their scheduled flight or arrival at the land border or marine port of entry, from a molecular test taken no more than 72 hours before scheduled flight departure or before arrival at the land or marine port of entry, or proof of a previous positive molecular test result taken between 10 and 180 days before arrival to meet the pre-entry test requirements.
• For partially or unvaccinated travellers coming to Canada, pre-entry testing and quarantine requirements are not changing.
• On April 25, 2022, partially and unvaccinated children aged 5-11 who are accompanied by a fully vaccinated parent or guardian, will no longer be required to complete a pre-entry COVID-19 test for entry to Canada, but will be subject to mandatory randomized testing on-arrival to Canada.
• Fully vaccinated travellers, children aged 5-11 (who are accompanied by a fully vaccinated adult), and those with a medical contraindication to COVID-19 vaccination will no longer be required to provide quarantine plans when travelling into Canada.
• For 14 days after arriving in Canada, fully vaccinated travellers will no longer be required to:
o monitor and report if they develop signs or symptoms;
o mask while in public spaces;
o quarantine if another traveller in the same travel group exhibits signs or symptoms or tests positive; and
o maintain a list of close contacts and locations.