Fully vaccinated Canadians ready for upcoming looser travel restrictions
Fully vaccinated Albertans looking to travel this summer are applauding a new federal announcement regarding quarantine.
Most international travel restrictions will be lifted for Canadians, permanent residents and certain foreign nationals who are fully vaccinated on July 5.
Effective July 5 at 11:59 p.m. EDT immunized travellers who are currently able to enter the country under the existing rules will be able to do so without having to self-isolate for 14 days.
They also won't need to provide a COVID-19 test eight days after touching down or have to stay in a quarantine hotel upon arrival.
One jet-setting Calgarian said it's even more reason to roll up your sleeve.
"I think it's smart," Jared Pearman told CTV News. "It makes sense. You shouldn't have to quarantine if you're vaccinated."
Pearman is taking his daughters to Colorado this week. In the eyes of the federal government, theirs is considered a "non-essential" trip.
Travel restrictions are being lifted July 5
Pearman says he's happy that by the time he comes back to Calgary, he won't need to cough up money for a mandated hotel stay.
"(Preparing to travel under current restrictions) all adds some extra stress and there's also just a little more uncertainty," he said. "When I'm talking to my family it's like 'yeah, I hope everything goes good.' But you do feel a lot more uncertainty about the travel."
“As we've told Canadians all along, easing measures at the border will happen as we see our communities increasingly become safe," health minister Patty Hajdu said Monday. “If you are planning to travel internationally this summer, remember to check the requirements of the country that you're visiting.”
Those who are eligible and coming to Canada will still need to provide proof of vaccination, travel details and an isolation backup plan before they land.
The federal ArriveCAN app is reportedly being revamped to make that process easier.
And this all isn't just for fully vaccinated Canadian citizens.
Vaccinated permanent residents and foreign nationals are also included in the order.
For now, everyone eligible will still need negative tests before and after they travel, but they won't be required to submit another test eight days after touching down.
By the time the new rules kick in, they should cover more than a quarter of all Albertans.
Calgary's airport is still one of only four Canadian facilities accepting international flights.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Man who set himself on fire outside Trump trial dies of injuries, police say
A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former U.S. President Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said.
Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza city of Rafah kills at least 9 Palestinians, including 6 children
An Israeli airstrike on a house in Gaza's southernmost city killed at least nine people, six of them children, hospital authorities said Saturday, as Israel pursued its nearly seven-month offensive in the besieged Palestinian territory.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
The House is on the brink of approving aid for Ukraine and Israel after months of struggle
The House is preparing in a rare Saturday session to approve US$95 billion in foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.