Canada to lift quarantine on exempt travelers by early July

Canadians and exempt travelers who are fully vaccinated will soon have a modified quarantine requirement when arriving from abroad.

Health Minister Patty Hajdu told reporters that travelers who are already exempt from travel restrictions, will not have to self-quarantine for a full 14 days if they have received a second dose of a COVID vaccine within 14 days of arrival.

The Minister of Health did not give a precise date for the implementation of these measures but suggested: "early July" as the number of cases continues to decline. Hajdu said the general estimate is the first week of July, but the federal government is still consulting with provincial governments, as well as the ministries of public safety and immigration.

Get a Free Express Entry Assessment

Hajdu said only Canadain-approved vaccines - Johnson and Johnson, AstraZeneca, Moderna, and Pfizer, will be accepted. Hajdu added that Health Canada will be evaluating other vaccines in the future.

Hajdu said Canada will take a phased approach to adjust border measures, in line with previous statements by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

A negative COVID PCR is still required upon arrival along with a quarantine plan while waiting for the result. They could be released in as little as a day provided the test result is negative.

Travel restrictions and mandatory quarantine rules have been in place since Canada's lockdown in March 2020. The three-day hotel quarantine has been a rule since last February.

Just last month, shortly after the restrictions were extended to June 21, Canada's Expert Advisory Panel on COVID-19 Testing and Screening called for an end to hotel quarantine rules for all travelers. They said it was not clear if the hotel quarantine was even working.

Government officials have hinted that border restrictions could ease around the end of June or July. Trudeau had previously said Canada was in no rush to reopen the border, according to recent public opinion research. Last week, however, Trudeau said Canada was considering a phased approach to allowing cross-border travel.

The government has not communicated an official date for the reopening of the border.