Starting February 28, fully vaccinated travellers returning to Canada will not need to take a PCR test.
Instead, the travellers will have the option of choosing a rapid antigen test, a cheaper and faster option that was not permitted before.
“Travelers who choose to present a valid negative rapid antigen test will have to take the test no more than 24 hours before their scheduled flight or arrival at the land border,” said Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, at a press conference on Tuesday.
“For those choosing to take a molecular PCR test, the rules don’t change, it has to be taken no less than 72 hours prior to departing.”
Currently, travellers need to show a proof of negative PCR test taken before 72 hours of their flight and may be randomly selected for PCR test upon arrival when the trip is outside of the United States.
Officials will still conduct random testing on people arriving at the airport, but Duclos says fully vaccinated travellers “will no longer be required to quarantine while awaiting test results.”
The Health Minister also announced that also starting Feb 28, unvaccinated children under 12 years old won’t need to isolate for fourteen days after returning to Canada. “This means they will no longer need to wait and self isolate before attending school, daycare or day camps.”
In addition, kids won’t need to go through testing or any other requirements.
Unvaccinated travellers will continue to be tested on arrival, on the 8th day, and have to quarantine for 14 days.
For travellers who had COVID recently, “ the Government of Canada will continue to only accept the molecular test results taken at least 10 calendar days and no more than 180 calendar days before entering Canada,” said Duclos.
The government will also no longer recommend that Canadians avoid all travel for non-essential purposes.
Minister of Public Safety, Marco Mendicino, said ease in restrictions comes after “recent data indicates that the last wave of COVID-19 has reached its peak in Canada.”