Unvaccinated Tourists Will Not Be Able to Enter Canada ‘For Quite a While’

On Thursday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters that there are no plans to allow foreign tourists who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter the country.

“I can tell you right now that’s not going to happen for quite a while,” Trudeau said when asked if there was a timeline for allowing unvaccinated tourists in.

While fully vaccinated citizens are able to return to Canada without quarantine starting this week and vaccinated tourists are the “next step we’ll be looking at,” Trudeau made it clear that non-vaccinated tourists are not under consideration right now.

“The next step we’ll be looking at what measures we can allow for international travelers who are fully vaccinated,” Trudeau said.

Currently, in Canada according to Reuters, close to 80% of citizens 12-years-old and more have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and over 40% are fully vaccinated. Trudeau has cited domestic vaccination rates as one of the factors going into the decisions, along with the spread of variants and spread in other parts of the world.

Fully vaccinated citizens will have to provide proof of vaccination both prior to entry, through Canada’s ArriveCan travel app, and in person at the border. All travelers must also be asymptomatic when they cross.

All inbound travelers to Canada, including residents and non-residents, can check their requirements here.