After the emergence of a new variant, Canada implemented new guidelines for extra precaution.
Last week, the country put a ban on ten countries from flying to Canada. The impacted countries are Namibia, Lesotho, Botswana, Egypt, Malawi, Mozambique, Eswatini, Nigeria, South Africa and Zimbabwe. Even the foreign nationals who were visiting any of the above-mentioned countries are barred from entering.
The new rules also impact the citizens and Permanent residents of maple country. If they wish to return, they need to take a test in a 3rd nation first. A temp change allows Canadians in South Africa to take a test there.
The order in the council taking these decisions will go until 31st January 2022. Only the country people and permanent residents will be allowed provided they follow the new guidelines.
Furthermore, Canada also needs people from every country to take a test after arriving (except for the US). They also need to be quarantined while they wait for the test results.
The transport minister of Canada tweeted a flow chart to understand the process of entering Canada.
https://twitter.com/OmarAlghabra/status/1467142361377554432?s=20
Before you plan your travel, know this.
The government of Canada has created a web tool to check eligibility. This helps incoming travellers to find out whether they can enter the land of snow or not. However, that web tool does not guarantee your acceptance. The officers at the borders will take the final call.
Whether you have taken your vaccine shots or not, if the officer decides that you need to be quarantined so you will have to accept their decision. That determines that you need to keep yourself in isolation for two weeks.
Over the age of 5, every traveller will have to show a negative result while entering the borders. The test must have been carried within 72 hours of departure or arrival time at the border. If the traveller has a positive result, that should be between 14 days to 6 months old.
Only those are considered fully vaccinated who have taken the recommended dose of the below-mentioned vaccines:
- Bharat Biotech (Covaxin, BBV152 A, B, C)
- Janssen/Johnson & Johnson (Ad26.COV2.S)
- Sinopharm BIBP (BBIBP-CorV)
- Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty, tozinameran, BNT162b2)
- AstraZeneca (COVISHIELD, Vaxzevria, AZD1222, ChAdOx1-S)
- Sinovac (CoronaVac, PiCoVacc)
- Moderna (Spikevax, mRNA-1273)
There is an app, ArriveCAN and the website; the travellers need to update their documents on either before they head to Canada.
Canadians travelling to affected countries
All the vaccinated individuals will have to take a test after arriving in the country. If the test is discovered positive, the individual or the group will have to be quarantined or kept in isolation at their home. If negative, they will be quarantined. The individual will need to take one more test on day 8. If the result comes out negative, they can complete their 14 days period and go home; if not, another ten days will be added.
The process remains the same for people who have not taken any vaccine.
Rules for travellers from other countries (except the US)
If vaccinated, travellers from other countries (except the US and the ten banned countries) will have to take a test after arriving in Canada. And the remaining process stays the same as for Canadian passengers.
For unvaccinated individuals, they will have to take a test after coming into the country. If found positive, they will be quarantined. If negative, the individual will be quarantined. The individual will have to take another test on day 8. If the result comes out negative, they can complete their 14 days period and go home; if not so there will be another ten days added.
