Canada drops vaccine mandate for domestic, outbound travelers

By Barry Ellsworth

TRENTON, Canada (AA) – Domestic and internationally outbound air travelers will no longer need to be vaccinated for the coronavirus beginning June 20, the Canadian government announced Tuesday.

Those arriving internationally and Canadians returning from abroad will still face quarantine upon re-entry.

"Today's announcement is possible because Canadians have stepped up to protect each other," Federal Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs Dominic LeBlanc said at a news conference. "We are now able to adjust our policy because we have followed consistently the best advice from public health authorities."

The restrictions had been in place since Oct. 30, 2021.

But there was a codicil to the changed policy.

LeBlanc said while the decision is "based on science," if cases increase significantly this fall, the federal government will “bring back” vaccine mandates.

Meanwhile, he said recent recurring logjams for travelers waiting for hours to board flights at Canadian airports was not a factor in the decision to drop the vaccine requirements.

“We don’t regret at all being cautious when it comes to a virus that has tragically killed tens of thousands of Canadians and millions of people around the world,” said LeBlanc. “Acting prudently has saved lives.”

About 90% of Canada's population has been fully vaccinated for the virus with two doses.

The new policy will allow federal employees who have been on unpaid leave because they refused vaccinations to return to work.

The government estimated that 98.5% of federal workers are fully vaccinated.