BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Canada will lift the pre-arrival COVID-19 test requirement for fully vaccinated travelers as of Friday.
This applies to air, land and water travel. You can find more information here on what qualifies as fully vaccinated.
Although the requirement to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test will be lifted for those who are fully vaccinated, travelers may still need to take a COVID-19 molecular test on arrival if selected for mandatory random testing. Those selected for random testing will not be required to quarantine while waiting for results. Travelers will also still have to use the ArriveCAN app to show proof of vaccination and other required information.
Adjustments to Canada's border measures are made possible by a number of factors, including Canada's high vaccination rate, the increasing availability and use of rapid tests to detect infection, decreasing hospitalizations and growing domestic availability of treatments for COVID-19. As vaccination levels and healthcare system capacity improve, we will continue to consider further easing of measures at the borders-and when to adjust those measures-to keep the people in Canada safe.
The Canada government said pre-arrival testing requirements are not changing for those who are partially or unvaccinated, they must provide:
- a valid, negative antigen test, administered or observed by an accredited lab or testing provider, taken outside of Canada no more than one day before their initially scheduled flight departure time or their arrival at the land border or marine port of entry; or
- a valid negative molecular test taken no more than 72 hours before their initially scheduled flight departure time or their arrival at the land border or marine port of entry; or
- a previous positive molecular test taken at least 10 calendar days and no more than 180 calendar days before their initially scheduled flight departure time or their arrival at the land border or marine port of entry. It is important to note that positive antigen test results will not be accepted.
On February 28 adjustments to COVID-related measures at the border went into place, which included allowing travelers to have the option of using a COVID-19 rapid antigen test result within 24 hours or a molecular test result within 72 hours to meet pre-arrival requirements.
You can find more information on the announcement here.
