Certain travellers will now have an easier time entering Canada as the country relaxes more of the border measures initially put in place to curb the spread of COVID-19.
In effect as of at 1 a.m. EDT on April 25, the changes pertain to those who are fully vaccinated, as well as children regardless of their vaccination status. International travellers will also notice updated requirements on providing a quarantine plan following their arrival in Canada.
Below is everything travellers need to know about Canada’s updated border restrictions.
WHO IS IMPACTED AND HOW?
Children aged five to 11 who are travelling with a fully vaccinated parent or guardian will no longer be required to complete a COVID-19 test prior to entering Canada, regardless of whether the child is unvaccinated. This is according to an announcement made by the Public Health Agency of Canada on April 22.
Children under the age of five won’t be required to complete a pre-entry COVID-19 test either, and are exempt for vaccination requirements. Travellers aged 12 and older who are either partially vaccinated or unvaccinated will still need to perform a COVID-19 test prior to entering Canada by land, air or water.
WILL YOU NEED TO QUARANTINE OR WEAR MASKS AFTER TRAVELLING?
As a result of the changes, certain travellers are no longer required to prepare a plan to quarantine for 14 days after arriving in Canada. This applies to travellers aged 12 and older who are fully vaccinated, as well as children aged five to 11 who are travelling with a parent or guardian who is fully vaccinated.
Those with a valid medical contraindication to COVID-19 vaccines won’t be required to provide a quarantine plan when entering Canada either. Additionally, if a traveller starts to show symptoms of COVID-19 or tests positive after arriving in Canada, those travelling in the same group will not be required to quarantine, according to the new measures.
The federal government has also dropped its requirement for those entering the country to monitor for and report any COVID-19 symptoms they experience. Those travelling from abroad also won’t be required to keep a list of close contacts and places visited for the first 14 days after their arrival in Canada.
Canadian adults and children aged five and older who are fully vaccinated are no longer expected to wear a mask in public spaces for 14 days following their arrival in Canada. However, children aged five to 11 who are either unvaccinated or partially vaccinated must continue to wear masks in public settings, such as school, for 14 days after entering Canada.
All travellers are also still required to wear a mask while travelling on federally-regulated modes of transportation, such as a plane or train, regardless of whether they are vaccinated.
WHAT MEASURES ARE STILL IN EFFECT?
Vaccine and mask mandates for anyone travelling by plane, train or cruise ship to Canada remain in effect, federal public health officials have said.
“Right now, of course within the Canadian context, Omicron BA.2 is going strong… I think it’s one of the least intrusive measures but adds definitely another layer of protection,” Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam said when discussing the mask mandate on April 22.
Those looking to enter Canada who are not fully vaccinated are still required to perform a COVID-19 molecular test once they arrive, and on the eighth day of their 14-day quarantine. Fully vaccinated travellers arriving in Canada will also continue to be subject to random testing, but are no longer required to quarantine while waiting for results if they are selected. The government’s mandatory random testing program is in effect in four major international airports across Canada, located in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal.
All travellers are also still expected to use the ArriveCAN app or webpage to submit necessary travel information, including their proof of vaccination. These details must be provided within 72 hours before arriving in Canada. Any travellers who fail to comply could be fined $5,000.
With files from CTV’s Rachel Aiello and The Canadian Press.
PORT ALBERNI, B.C. – RCMP say the body of a second person has been found inside their vehicle after a road washed away amid pouring rain on the west coast of Vancouver Island.
Police say two vehicles went into the Sarita River when Bamfield Road washed out on Saturday as an atmospheric river hammered southern B.C.
The body of the other driver was found Sunday.
More coming.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
The B.C. Greens say Sonia Furstenau will be staying on as party leader, despite losing her seat in the legislature in Saturday’s provincial election.
The party says in a statement that its two newly elected MLAs, Jeremy Valeriote and Rob Botterell, support Furstenau’s leadership as they “navigate the prospect of having the balance of power in the legislature.”
Neither the NDP led by Premier David Eby nor the B.C. Conservatives led by John Rustad secured a majority in the election, with two recounts set to take place from Oct. 26 to 28.
Eby says in a news conference that while the election outcome is uncertain, it’s “very likely” that the NDP would need the support of others to pass legislation.
He says he reached out to Furstenau on election night to congratulate her on the Greens’ showing.
But he says the Green party has told the NDP they are “not ready yet” for a conversation about a minority government deal.
The Conservatives went from taking less than two per cent of the vote in 2020 to being elected or leading in 45 ridings, two short of a majority and only one behind the NDP.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Toronto FC captain Jonathan Osorio is making a difference, 4,175 kilometres away from home.
The 32-year-old Canadian international midfielder, whose parents hail from Colombia, has been working with the Canadian Colombian Children’s Organization, a charity whose goal is to help disadvantaged youth in the South American country.
Osorio has worked behind the scenes, with no fanfare.
Until now, with his benevolence resulting in becoming Toronto FC’s nominee for the Audi Goals Drive Progress Impact Award, which honours an MLS player “who showed outstanding dedication to charitable efforts and serving the community” during the 2024 season.”
Other nominees include Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Sebastian Berhalter and CF Montreal goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois.
The winner will be announced in late November.
The Canadian Colombian Children’s Organization (CCCO) is run entirely by volunteers like Monica Figueredo and Claudia Soler. Founded in 1991, it received charitable status in 2005.
The charity currently has four projects on the go: two in Medellin and one each in Armenia and Barranquilla.
They include a school, a home for young girls whose parents are addicted to drugs, after-school and weekend programs for children in a disadvantaged neighbourhood, and nutrition and education help for underprivileged youth.
The organization heard about Osorio and was put in contact with him via an intermediary, which led to a lunch meeting. Osorio did his due diligence and soon got back to the charity with his decision.
“It was something that I wanted to be a part of right away,” said Osorio, whose lone regret is that he didn’t get involved sooner.
“I’m fortunate now that to help more now that I could have back then,” he added. “The timing actually worked out for everybody. For the last three years I have donated to their cause and we’ve built a couple of (football) fields in different cities over there in the schools.”
His father visited one of the sites in Armenia close to his hometown.
“He said it was amazing, the kids, how grateful they are to be able to play on any pitch, really,” said Osorio. “But to be playing on a new pitch, they’re just so grateful and so humble.
“It really makes it worth it being part of this organization.”
The collaboration has also made Osorio take stock.
“We’re very fortunate here in Canada, I think, for the most part. Kids get to go to school and have a roof over their head and things like that. In Colombia, it’s not really the same case. My father and his family grew up in tough conditions, so giving back is like giving back to my father.”
Osorio’s help has been a godsend to the charity.
“We were so surprised with how willing he was,” said Soler.
The TFC skipper has helped pay for a football field in Armenia as well as an ambitious sports complex under construction in Barranquilla.
“It’s been great for them,” Figueredo said of the pitch in Armenia. “Because when they go to school, now they have a proper place to train.”
Osorio has also sent videos encouraging the kids to stay active — as well as shipping soccer balls and signed jerseys their way.
“They know more about Jonathan than the other players in Colombia,” Figueredo said. “That’s the funny part. Even though he’s far away, they’ve connected with him.”
“They feel that they have a future, that they can do more,” she added. “Seeing that was really, really great.”
The kids also followed Osorio through the 2022 World Cup and this summer’s Copa America.
Back home, Osorio has also attended the charity’s annual golf tournament, helping raise funds.
A Toronto native, he has long donated four tickets for every TFC home game to the Hospital for Sick Children.
Vancouver’s Berhalter was nominated for his involvement in the Whitecaps’ partnership with B.C. Children’s Hospital while Montreal’s Sirois was chosen for his work with the Montreal Impact Foundation.
—
Follow @NeilMDavidson on X platform, formerly known as Twitter
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.
Sentencing hearing continues for University of Waterloo gender studies class stabber
Toronto FC captain Jonathan Osorio making a difference off the pitch as well as on it
Inequality has broad impacts on the health of Montreal children, report finds
Liberal majority victory shifts political landscape in New Brunswick
Thomson Reuters acquires AI accounting assistant developer Materia
Building Homes Faster with our Latest 3D Construction Printer
Legault ‘shocked’ by Montreal teacher scandal, pledges to toughen secularism measures
Susan Holt Breaks the Glass Ceiling in New Brunswick Politics
