COVID-19 Travel Restrictions Are Reportedly Being Scrapped For Canadians Stranded By Floods

Some of Canada's COVID-19 travel restrictions are reportedly being waived in order to help Canadians who are stranded by the flooding in B.C.

On Wednesday, November 17, CTV News reported that Canadians who are unable to access the rest of the country have been given the go-ahead to bypass the requirements usually in place for travellers at the Canada-U.S. border.

It comes as parts of the province have been completely cut off from the rest of Canada by road due to recent mudslides and flooding.

It means that in some cases, locals are required to go through the United States to access the rest of the country.

The Canada Border Services Agency told CTV that residents who are unable to use highways to access the rest of the country will be exempt from the COVID-19 pre-arrival test that's usually required to re-enter Canada from the U.S. Those who are partially vaccinated or unvaccinated will also be permitted to skip post-arrival testing and quarantine requirements.

A spokesperson said that these exemptions were already included in the existing travel orders and are now applicable to those impacted by the conditions in B.C.

"CBSA officers use all of the information available to them when a traveller is seeking entry into Canada to determine which set of instructions apply to the traveller," they said.

Several days of heavy rain and stormy conditions have caused major mudslides and serious flooding in the province, causing whole regions to have to be evacuated.

This article’s left-hand cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.