COVID-19 Testing Requirements At Canada's Border Are Being 'Actively Looked At'

Canada's top doctor has confirmed that officials are "actively" discussing potential changes to COVID-19 testing requirements at the Canadian border.

Speaking on Friday, November 5, Dr. Theresa Tam said that restrictions for fully vaccinated travellers need to be re-examined, particularly for short trips across the border.

She said the current policy — which requires all travellers to show proof of a negative pre-entry molecular COVID-19 test — is being "actively looked at."

The rule has been a point of contention since the U.S. announced that it would reopen its land border to eligible international visitors beginning on November 8. This is because molecular tests, which include PCR tests, can be pretty costly to purchase.

The rule applies to all discretionary travellers entering Canada, regardless of their vaccination status, including those crossing the border for 72 hours or less in total.

"Just to reassure everybody, we are looking at that quite carefully," Tam said during Friday's briefing, per CTV News.

Federal officials previously said that pre-arrival testing had "proven to be one of the more effective requirements" for travellers and that maintaining the rules would be "a very effective protection for Canadians."

However, Tam admitted, "I do think that all this needs to be re-examined, as we are doing with all of the border measures moving ahead."

No changes will be made before Monday, when the U.S. land border will fully reopen to fully vaccinated Canadian travellers for the first time since March 2020.

The same day, the top doctor revealed that she doesn't think Canada is "out of the woods" when it comes to COVID-19, adding that the country is likely to be in a "better position" by spring 2022.

Before you get going, check out our Responsible Travel Guide so you can be informed, be safe, be smart, and most of all, be respectful on your adventure.

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