After nearly a year and a half, Canada shares official plans to open its borders to fully vaccinated U.S. travelers. This change will go into effect on August 9th as a preliminary measure before opening up the country to other foreign nationals on September 7th.
After Mexico, Canada is the second most popular travel destination for Americans. Mexico’s borders have been open to U.S. travelers for quite some time now, and it’s proven to have been a popular summer travel destination. However, those traveling to Mexico aren’t required to show a negative PCR test or proof of vaccination.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted, “Update: As of September 7th, fully-vaccinated people from any country can come into Canada for non-essential travel. As a first step, fully-vaccinated Americans can do the same starting August 9th. At every step, the safety of Canadians will continue to be our top priority.”
Canada is experiencing climbing vaccination rates and fewer Covid-19 cases, which ultimately led to the country’s decision to open its borders. “Fully vaccinated” means the traveler will have needed to receive their final dose of the vaccine 14 days prior to travel. All travelers will still have to take a pre-arrival PCR test and record their information through the ArriveCAN portal. There will no longer be a need to quarantine or take an additional coronavirus test upon arriving unless the traveler is randomly selected to do so.
The reopening is great news for the airline industry, with many airlines already having jumped to offer special rates on flights between the U.S. and Canada. Leading the movement, United Airlines has advertised roundtrip flights for less than $300.
The U.S. border will continue to restrict non-essential travel, including from Canada, until at least August 21st. Officials have cited the rapid spread of Covid-19 and the emergence of the Delta variant as factors in this decision.
Planning your next trip to Canada? Check out our Instagram guide to one of the country’s most popular travel destinations, Lake Louise, Alberta.