Canada is set to begin a pilot program to significantly shorten the quarantine period for travellers who fly or drive into the country. The program will begin on November 2nd and will be offered to travellers at the Coutts land border and the Calgary International Airport in Alberta.
Instead of the mandatory 14-day quarantine currently in place, essential workers and Canadian citizens may shorten their quarantine to about 48 hours if:
- The traveller receives a negative COVID-19 test result on arrival; and
- The traveller commits to receiving a second test six or seven days after arrival.
Travellers will be required to follow enhanced preventative measures including mask-wearing and avoiding high-risk groups. Newly approved rapid testing has enabled border officials to implement short waiting times for test results.
This announcement by Alberta sets to align Canada’s travel procedures with many other countries in the world. Examples of countries that defer quarantine measures provided the traveller has a negative test include Germany, Italy, and Aruba. If the traveller arrives with a positive COVID-19 test, they will be forced to isolate as required. Details have not been provided on future plans to expand the pilot program to other ports of entry or provinces, but it is expected that, if successful, other major transit hubs will follow Alberta’s pilot.
This news is breaking, and further details will be amended as they are released. If you have any questions about your travel plans to Canada, please do not hesitate to reach out to our office.
