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BORDER AND TRAVEL NEWS: Surrey Board of Trade Pleased that Canada Will Lift Pre-arrival Travel COVID Testing by April 1

On March 17, the Federal Government announced that fully vaccinated travellers entering Canada will no longer have to take a pre-arrival COVID-19 test, removing the testing requirements at airports and land border crossings, effective April 1.

“We are very pleased that the federal government listened to our advocacy and that of other business organizations across Canada,” said Anita Huberman, President & CEO, Surrey Board of Trade.

IN SUMMARY

1.     Declaring Canada in a ‘transition phase’ in the COVID-19 pandemic, federal officials announced that fully vaccinated travellers entering Canada will not have to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test as of 12:01 a.m. ET on April 1.

2.     Passengers may still be subjected to random PCR testing at the airport—in part to monitor for new variants— though they will not be required to isolate while awaiting their results.

3.     Unvaccinated and partially vaccinated travellers will still face pre-entry, on-arrival testing and quarantine requirements.

4.     All travellers will still have to use the ArriveCAN app or online form to enter their proof of vaccination and other required information within 72 hours before their arrival in Canada. Travellers who do not complete this submission may face testing and isolation requirements, regardless of vaccination status, according to the government.

5.     The requirement to be fully vaccinated to board federally regulated air, rail, and marine transportation remains in effect, with the government indicating no intention to lift their proof of vaccine policy for travel at this time.

MORE INFORMATION: https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid

Surrey is a border city and soon will be the largest city in British Columbia. Families and businesses on both sides of the border rely on moving across a fully open border. We are pleased that the Canadian government recognizes and understands its importance.