Canada May Drop Vaccine Requirement on September 30

Canada's federal government may drop its COVID-19 vaccine requirement for travelers entering the nation beginning September 30.

According to Reuters, an unnamed government source leaked the information on Tuesday, saying the Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, was likely to drop the requirement, along with the random COVID-19 testing. The source also said the ArriveCAN app would become optional, no longer a required part of the entry process.

There has been no comment from Canada's Health Ministry as of yet.

Canada remains one of the strictest countries in terms of COVID-19 entry requirements and restrictions. The country requires travelers to complete the ArriveCAN app prior to entry and to be fully vaccinated; random COVID-19 testing upon arrival is possible. For unvaccinated travelers, a mandatory quarantine period remains, as does pre- and post-arrival testing.

According to the Canadian Health Ministry, the country has seen a markedly lower number of COVID-19 infections and deaths due to its stricter restrictions and higher vaccination numbers, reporting about 85 percent of its population having received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Between the beginning of the pandemic through August 30, 2022, Canada reported a total number of cases at 4,192,880 and 44,112 deaths. By comparison, the U.S. reported 94,379,514 total cases and 1,044,730 COVID-19-related deaths. Though Canada's population is much smaller than the United States, they have done better in COVID-19 reduction and mitigation, though many believe that their travel restrictions have been too strict for too long.

For the latest travel news, updates and deals, be sure to subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.