Pandemic travel restrictions between the United States and Canada will start to loosen, with plans to fully reopen in coming weeks, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Monday during a news conference.
Canadian citizens and permanent residents who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can return to Canada from the United States without needing to quarantine for 14 days. Those who travel by air also will no longer need to stay for the first three days at a government-authorized hotel.
All non-essential travel is still banned between Canada and the United States until at least July 21.
“We’re very hopeful that we’re going to see new steps on reopening announced in the coming weeks,” Trudeau said at the news conference in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. “We’re going to make sure that we’re not seeing a resurgence of COVID-19 cases because nobody wants to go back to further restrictions, after having done so much and sacrificed so much to get to this point.”
So far, 27% of Canadians have been fully vaccinated, while 67% have received one dose, according to government data.