Canada ends COVID-19 measures for those entering country

By Barry Ellsworth

TRENTON, Canada (AA) - Canada will drop its COVID-19 measures Oct. 1 for those entering the country, including requirements for proof of vaccinations, tests and masks, the government announced Monday.

Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said the border measures were ended because travelers "no longer influence in a significant way" the importation and spread of COVID-19 in Canada.

However, in a joint press conference with two other senior cabinet ministers, Duclos said the government would re-establish the measures "should they be required in the future...to protect Canadians."

Duclos said the cases have dropped dramatically because most Canadians have been vaccinated and inoculations continue to be available for those aged six months and older, providing adequate protection.

"This is great news for the economy," Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said at the press conference.

The announcement comes after a number of Canadian Members of Parliament and mayors of Canada-American border towns asked in an open letter to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and US President Joe Biden to end the measures. They called them "unnecessary" and wanted the rules dropped to help their communities recover economically from the pandemic.

The removal of restrictions for wearing masks, random testing for all those entering or traveling in Canada whether by airplane, train or bus or proof of vaccination also applies to passengers on cruise ships.