Canada ending travel mask mandate, COVID-19 border, quarantine restrictions effective Oct 1

Ambassador Bridge to the US. Image credit: IBNS Canada

All COVID-19 measures at borders, including proof of vaccination when entering Canada, mask mandates on planes, and trains, and use of ArriveCAN would end effective Oct 1, the federal government reportedly announced today.

According to the announcement, all travelers, regardless of citizenship, will no longer be required to submit public health information through the ArriveCAN app or website, provide proof of vaccination; undergo pre- or on-arrival testing, carry out COVID-19-related quarantine or isolation, monitor and report if they develop signs or symptoms of COVID-19 upon arriving to Canada, undergo health checks for travel on air and rail; or wear masks on planes and trains.

These measures would also be applicable to cruise ships so passengers will no longer be required to take pre-board tests, be vaccinated, or use ArriveCAN. . 

An open letter addressed both to Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Joe Biden was published last week by a group of MPs and border-city mayors asking them to end the rules at the border to facilitate border communities to recover economically from the pandemic.

“When COVID-19 was at its peak and border measures were effective at slowing transmission rates, we did our part to keep Canadians and Americans safe,” the letter reportedly stated. “Now, we have been left behind in the recovery effort as both countries have largely returned to normal daily life,” and continued that these restrictions are no longer meaningful or helpful from a health perspective and cause harm to border communities and businesses.

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