Fully Vaccinated Travellers From All Countries Will Soon Be Able To Travel To Canada Freely

Canada leads G20 in immunisation rates, with about 80% of eligible Canadians receiving their first dose and over 50% of eligible Canadians receiving their entire vaccination, Trudeau said.

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New Delhi: Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau announced on Thursday that fully vaccinated Americans could be allowed entrance as early as mid-August for non-essential travel. By early September, Canada should be able to welcome fully vaccinated passengers from all nations, he said.

Trudeau spoke with provincial leaders, and his office shared a transcript of the call. He stated that the border might be opened if Canada's existing positive immunisation rate and public health conditions remain.

“Canada would be in a position to welcome fully vaccinated travelers from all countries by early September,” the readout said. “He noted the ongoing discussions with the United States on reopening plans, and indicated that we could expect to start allowing fully vaccinated US citizens and permanent residents into Canada as of mid-August for non-essential travel.”

Trudeau remarked that Canada continues to lead the G20 in immunisation rates, with about 80 percent of eligible Canadians receiving their first dose and over 50 percent of eligible Canadians receiving their entire vaccination. He claims that as immunisation rates rise, case numbers and serious illnesses are decreasing across the country.

The US and Canadian governments closed the more than 5,500-mile (8,800-kilometer) border to non-essential commerce in the early days of the pandemic. Some were irritated that the two governments hadn't put out concrete plans to fully restore the border, despite rising vaccination rates and decreasing infection rates.

Canada began loosening its rules earlier this month, enabling fully vaccinated Canadians and permanent legal residents to return to the country without having to undergo quarantine. However, they must pass a virus test before returning, as well as another once they have returned.

Canada has been under increasing pressure to ease the border restrictions that have been in place since March of last year.

Exemptions for travel into Canada during the pandemic are politically delicate, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is set to call a federal election next month. 
Trudeau said his ministers would share more details on the border early next week.

Since the outbreak of the epidemic, commercial traffic between the two countries has been routine. With a negative Covid-19 test, Canadians can fly into the United States.

According to the US Travel Association, each month the border is closed costs $1.5 billion. According to Canadian officials, the country received over 22 million foreign tourists in 2019, with about 15 million of them coming from the United States.

Before relaxing border restrictions for tourists and business visitors, Canadian officials said they want 75 percent of eligible Canadian people to be completely vaccinated. By the end of July, the Canadian government hopes to have enough vaccinations to fully vaccinate 80 percent of eligible Canadians. Vaccine exports to Canada were only permitted in early May by the United States.

Major League Baseball and the Toronto Blue Jays are attempting to gain an exception that will allow home games to begin on July 30 in Toronto. The issue of allowing unvaccinated athletes into the country is still being debated, but protocols will be implemented. The Blue Jays played their home games in Buffalo, New York, during the truncated 2020 season, and began this season in Dunedin, Florida, before moving to Buffalo.

Because of the risk of spreading Covid-19, the Canadian authorities refused to let the team to play at home in Toronto, citing the frequent travel required in the United States during a baseball season.