Close X
Wednesday, November 13, 2024
ADVT 
National

More details of travel vaccine mandate announced

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 29 Oct, 2021 02:27 PM
  • More details of travel vaccine mandate announced

TORONTO - Fly-in communities will be exempt from a federal requirement that air passengers be vaccinated against COVID-19, Canada's transport minister said Friday, a day before the mandate comes into effect.

Residents who leave their remote communities to access essential services need not be vaccinated to board a plane, Omar Alghabra told a news conference outside Toronto International Pearson Airport.

"We are putting in place some exceptions with guardrails and with measures, as well, to protect the health and safety of everyone," he said. "But again, those are communities that have very little if no access to the outside world, other than travelling by plane."

Ottawa said earlier this month that it was eyeing exceptions for 182 communities that Transport Canada or the provinces and territories have deemed "remote" and largely inaccessible by car.

Alghabra said the government consulted with First Nations, provinces and territories to develop the exemption.

Alghabra also announced a months-long grace period for unvaccinated foreign nationals hoping to leave the country without getting their shots.

They'll have until Feb. 28 to board a plane or boat leaving Canada with only a negative COVID-19 test if they choose to remain unvaccinated.

After that, he said, they'll be subject to the same requirements as everyone else.

There's a similar grace period for other unvaccinated Canadians, when they can travel with just a negative molecular test result for COVID-19, but it lasts only until Nov. 29.

"We know that Canadians who have not been vaccinated are now thinking about getting vaccinated and hopefully they will go out and get vaccinated, so they will be required to get tested prior to departure," Alghabra said.

He noted that the testing mandate is still a step up from existing policies for domestic air travel, which require neither a vaccine nor a negative test.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau first announced in August that all travellers by plane, boat or interprovincial train would need to be vaccinated, and the pledge became a pillar of his successful re-election campaign.

Alghabra said the mandate will help protect workers and travellers alike.

 

MORE National ARTICLES

No COVID-19 test at U.S. land border: Higgins

No COVID-19 test at U.S. land border: Higgins
The office of New York congressman Brian Higgins says U.S. Customs and Border Protection won't be requiring a negative COVID-19 test for fully vaccinated travellers in order to cross the land border with Canada.

No COVID-19 test at U.S. land border: Higgins

Announcement coming on child-welfare appeal: PM

Announcement coming on child-welfare appeal: PM
Speaking while on a trip to the Netherlands ahead of back-to-back international summits, he says ministers are working this morning in Ottawa to meet a deadline to decide whether to appeal the Federal Court ruling that upheld two historic decisions from the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal.

Announcement coming on child-welfare appeal: PM

Multiple search warrants lead to substantial drug seizure: Surrey RCMP

Multiple search warrants lead to substantial drug seizure: Surrey RCMP
In Spring of 2021, the Surrey RCMP Drug Unit initiated an investigation into a drug trafficking network with ties to the Lower Mainland Gang Conflict. Through an extensive investigation, three residences in the Whalley area were identified as locations of interest.

Multiple search warrants lead to substantial drug seizure: Surrey RCMP

Contractor to try to recover overboard containers

Contractor to try to recover overboard containers
It says in a statement that a salvage team was using thermal cameras to find remaining hot spots on the MV Zim Kingston after some of the containers caught fire last weekend. Active firefighting operations continued Thursday in containers that hold tires, it said.

Contractor to try to recover overboard containers

Jobs minister says he knew little of firing

Jobs minister says he knew little of firing
Alberta's jobs minister says he heard rumours about his chief of staff raising a sexual harassment issue which she alleges led to her being fired by the premier’s office.

Jobs minister says he knew little of firing

758 COVID19 cases for Thursday

758 COVID19 cases for Thursday
There are 4,961 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 196,858 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 434 individuals are in hospital and 155 are in intensive care.

758 COVID19 cases for Thursday