Canada's Travel Restrictions Are Reportedly Changing & Pre-Arrival Tests Could Be Scrapped

The federal government is expected to announce changes to Canada's travel restrictions this week and reports suggest pre-arrival COVID-19 tests will be scrapped.

On Wednesday, March 16, CBC News and CTV News reported that the government has plans to remove testing requirements at both airports and land border crossings. This will be effective April 1, according to CTV.

While no formal announcement has been made by officials just yet, an update on the border measures is expected on Thursday.

It's thought that some passengers may still be subject to random PCR testing at airports and the ArriveCAN app will still be necessary.

Currently, all travellers 5 years old or older entering the country must show proof of a negative antigen or molecular COVID-19 test or a previous positive molecular test. This applies regardless of an individual's vaccination status.

The rules were softened back in February, when travellers were given the option to take cheaper and more easily accessible rapid antigen tests, in addition to molecular tests, to meet entry requirements.

At the same time, Canada's global travel advisory was changed from a level 3 to a level 2, which means officials are no longer advising Canadians to avoid all non-essential travel abroad.

The feds have come under pressure from major Canadian companies in the travel, tourism and hospitality industries for what they called "stagnant," "obsolete" and "out of step" travel measures, which continue to have an impact on tourism in the country.

The change would come as provinces all over Canada continue to relax public health measures, including the requirement for face masks and capacity limits.

The federal government continues to urge people who have not been fully vaccinated to avoid all non-essential travel abroad.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.