Starting February 22, 2021, Canada will implement new border restrictions. Please note, that as part of these new requirements, travelers who arrive by air will still need to log their travel and quarantine information in the ArriveCAN app prior to boarding a flight to Canada.
Land Entry
Starting February 15, 2021, all travelers entering Canada via land need to show a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of arrival or a positive test result within 14 and 90 days prior to travel (the latter is required for travelers who previously tested positive for COVID-19 but are no longer infectious).
Effective February 22, 2021, additionally, they will now receive a COVID-19 test upon entry and then will need to reach out to the local public health authority to arrange to be tested again towards the end of the 14-day quarantine. More information on how this process will work will be forthcoming and travelers entering Canada by land must proceed directly from the border to their 14-day home quarantine location. Travelers by land will not be subject to a mandatory 3-day hotel quarantine.
Essential workers (e.g., truck drivers, first responders, and those from cross-border communities) and those considered exempt on a case-by-case basis will be exempt from the above testing guidelines.
The following five land ports of entry will have onsite testing as of February 22:
• Douglas, B.C.
• Coutts, Alta.
• Queenston-Lewiston Bridge
• Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont.
• St-Bernard-de-Lacolle (Highway 15), Que.
• St. Stephen, N.B.
The following additional eleven ports of entry will with onsite testing as of March 4:
• Ambassador Bridge, Windsor, Ont.
• Blue Water Bridge, Point Edward, Ont.
• Lansdowne (Thousand Islands Bridge), Ont.
• Rainbow Bridge, Niagara Falls, Ont.
• Windsor-Detroit Tunnel, Ont.
• Fort Erie (Peace Bridge), Ont.
• Emerson West Lynne, Man.
• Pacific Highway, B.C.
• Huntingdon, B.C.
• St-Armand, Que.
• Stanstead (Route 55), Que.
Air Entry
Since January 7, 2021, all travelers, regardless of citizenship, entering Canada by air have been required to provide a negative COVID-19 test (paper or electronic proof of result) taken within 72 hours prior to departure, except for children below the age of 5, passengers in transit, crew members, emergency service providers, and travelers for national security and national interest purposes.
Starting February 22, 2021, travelers entering Canada via air will additionally be tested for COVID-19 upon entering Canada, prior to leaving the airport at the four major airports where all international air traffic has been directed (Calgary, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver).
Upon arrival travelers will be transported to a hotel quarantine location where they will stay up to three days as they wait for the results of that COVID-19 test. Should they test negative prior to the three days, they will be able to leave at this time and continue onto their own quarantine location. Travelers will be responsible for the costs of the stay and should expect the stay to cost significantly more than an average hotel stay as this will include food, lodging, specific COVID-measure cleaning (infection prevention and control measures + cleaning) and transportation from the airport to the hotel. They will need to book this 3-day stay ahead of their travels at a government-approved hotel location. The website for booking this will be released at Canada.ca on February 18, 2021.
Please note families and couples can stay together during the government-mandated hotel quarantine, but the hotel booking must specify the exact number of individuals due to the food and transportation factors. Travelers who can leave the quarantine hotel before the 3-day period after receiving a negative COVID-19 test may request a refund, but whether the remainder of the hotel stay will be refunded is entirely at the discretion of hotel management.
Should travelers test positive for COVID-19, they will be transferred to a federal quarantine facility for further treatment. However, once an individual tests negative, they will be allowed to travel to their home quarantine location. Individuals must complete the remainder of the 14-day quarantine at their home location and must arrange to be tested again toward the end of their 14-day quarantine with the local public health authority.
Please note that those who have already received a COVID-19 vaccine will not be exempt from these requirements at both land and airports of entry.
For additional information, please contact americas@tandslaw.com.
