When will Canada and the U.S. lift border restrictions?

Canadian and U.S. officials have been discussing how to lift pandemic-related border restrictions between the two countries eventually. However, no immediate action is expected, according to Reuters.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that he and Biden spoke on Sunday: “about coordinating measures at our borders as both our countries move ahead with mass vaccination.”

“We will continue to work closely together on moving forward in the right way, but each of us always will put at the forefront the interests and safety of our own citizens,” said the Prime Minister

Business leaders from Canada and the U.S. are concerned about the restrictions on non-essential travel imposed in March 2020 because of COVID-19. The current restrictions are in place until June 21.

However, last week Canada took the first step, saying it was prepared to relax quarantine protocols for fully vaccinated citizens in early July.

Here’s what you need to know about Canadian travel restrictions

Vaccinated travellers can skip quarantine soon

Ottawa announced on Wednesday that fully vaccinated travellers currently allowed to enter Canada will soon be able to skip the federal 14-day quarantine requirement. As a substitute, they’ll have to show proof of a negative pre-departure COVID-19 test, take another test upon arrival, and self-isolate until that test comes back negative.

There is no official date for the rule change, but the government hopes to implement it by early July. “These changes will only be made if the [COVID-19] case count continues to drop and if the vaccination campaign continues to go well,” said Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc, in French, at a news conference on Wednesday.

Currently, 61% of all Canadians have had at least one dose of the vaccine, according to the government’s vaccination dashboard.

What type of vaccine is ok?

The vaccines approved by Health Canada are Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson. Only travellers who received one of those vaccines will be allowed to bypass the 14-day quarantine.

Ottawa said it’s also working on a vaccine passport for travellers. If it’s not ready by the time the rules change, Canadian border officers will determine a traveller’s status based on their documentation.

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