Canada Clears All COVID-19 Travel Restrictions Starting October 1

Canadian Vancouver International Airport. (Wikimedia Commons/GoToVan)

JAKARTA - Canada will lift all COVID-19 restrictions for travelers from October 1, including vaccination requirements and the use of masks for flights and trains, the government said Monday.

The move is likely to boost the Canadian travel industry, which has grown rapidly after months of pause during the pandemic.

Previously, Canadian airlines also urged an end to their mandate to cover flights, citing thousands of non-compliance incidents this year alone.

"As Canadians and international visitors want to make plans for travel, the abolition of all the remaining measures that have been long awaited effective October 1, 2022, will further accelerate recovery for our industry and the Canadian economy," Canada's second-largest airline WestJet Airlines said in a statement.

The decision to end the restrictions is based on Canada's vaccination rate, the availability of new vaccines and treatments and data showing the country has passed the peak of the latest wave of coronavirus infections, the government said.

More than 90 percent of Canadians over 12 years have used the main series of COVID vaccines. This month, Canada allowed Moderna Inc.'s COVID-19 injection, for adults, the country's first vaccine was adapted from Omicron.

"Thank you mostly to Canadians who have lifted their sleeves for getting vaccinated, we have reached a point where we can safely lift sanitary measures at the border," Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said.

Duclos said the government was ready to reimpose restrictions if needed.

"Obviously we have no hope of reimplementing some of these actions, but if we need to protect the safety of Canadians, we have to," he told reporters in Ottawa.

Tourists, regardless of nationality, do not need to send health information through the ArriveCAN application or provide proof of vaccination starting Saturday.

It is known, the requirements for travelers to wear masks on planes and trains will also be lifted. Passengers and cruise crews are also no longer subject to vaccine requirements or COVID testing.