Canada will ease entry for fully vaccinated international travelers starting on Feb. 28 as COVID-19 cases decline, allowing a rapid antigen test for travelers instead of a molecular one, officials said on Tuesday.
The new measures, which include random testing for vaccinated travelers entering Canada, were announced by federal government ministers at a briefing.Canada will monitor conditions with an eye on dropping coronavirus testing requirements for fully vaccinated Canadians who make short trips - less than 72 hours - abroad, usually to the United States, Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said.
About 80% of Canadians are fully vaccinated and over 40% have also taken a booster dose, according to the health ministry. "Though today's announcement brings us one step closer to where our industry needs to be, in requiring pre-departure rapid antigen tests, the government missed an opportunity to align with other international jurisdictions that removed pre-departure test requirements for fully vaccinated travellers," the Canadian Travel and Tourism Roundtable industry group said in a statement.
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