Canada Is 'Actively Reviewing' Border Measures & Changes Could Be Announced In A Few Days

Amid calls to scrap travel rules, the federal government says it is "actively reviewing" Canada's border measures and changes could be announced soon.

During a COVID-19 update on February 11, federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos revealed that the government is now in a place in the pandemic where it's able to adjust the travel restrictions that are currently in place.

"With the worst of Omicron now behind us, our government is actively reviewing the measures in place at our borders and we should be able to communicate changes on this next week," Duclos said.

The health minister also noted that all measures are subject to "constant reevaluation," and any updates to them will be done based on science, the epidemiological situation and prudence.

"It's important to keep in mind that these measures are intended to limit the harm caused by the virus," Duclos said.

Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc mentioned that the federal COVID-19 committee is constantly discussing what border measures are appropriate at the time based on the virus situation.

Dr. Theresa Tam also said during the press conference that the government is "actively examining" the advice for travellers and that the travel advisory warning against all non-essential travel outside of Canada is constantly looked at.

"The public health restrictions currently in place, by provinces and territories, in particular, were always meant to be temporary," Duclos said.

This announcement comes less than a day after airlines, airports, travel companies and some doctors called for the federal government to scrap "obsolete" and "out of step" travel measures.