“Quarantine Hotels” are Back for Unvaccinated Travellers
December 1, 2021 Marsha Mowers
Yesterday we reviewed changes to Canada’s entry requirements that took effect November 30th, 2021.
That afternoon, the Government of Canada announced NEW requirements in response to the omicron variant.
It is important to note there is no set date yet for the start of the new rules.
The new rules also do not apply to travellers arriving from the US by land or air.
In the coming days, all fully vaccinated travellers arriving by air from departure points other than the United States will be subject to arrival testing. Fully vaccinated travellers will be required to quarantine while they await the results of their arrival test.
Canadian citizens, permanent residents and people with status under the Indian Act, regardless of their vaccination status or having had a previous history of testing positive for COVID-19, who have been in any of these 10 countries in the previous 14 days, (Botswana; Egypt; Eswatini; Lesotho; Malawi; Mozambique; Namibia; Nigeria; South Africa; and Zimbabwe) will be subject to enhanced pre-entry and arrival testing, screening, and quarantine measures.
The Government of Canada says that “Moving forward, border testing surveillance will be adjusted based on the latest available evidence to further reduce the risk of importation of this variant.”
Unvaccinated travellers, with right of entry to Canada, (ie citizens, permanent residents or essential workers) will continue to be tested on arrival and day 8 and quarantine for 14 days. However, those arriving by air will now be required to stay in a designated quarantine facility or other suitable location while they await the result of their on arrival test.
The quarantine hotel program was a controversial one back when they first started in early 2021.
More information can be found on the Government of Canada website.
About the Author
Marsha Mowers made the move to editorial side of travel after many years working in destination marketing where she represented places such as NYC and Las Vegas. Her experience on “both sides” of the industry has put her in a unique position to provide valuable context to both readers and trade partners. Marsha also serves as Director of Content for TravelPulse Canada
