Canada-U.S. border restrictions extended until July 21

Canada has announced the extension of restrictions for international travellers until July 21.

Bill Blair, the Public Safety Minister, made the announcement on Twitter on June 18. His tweet stated that Canada is extending travel restrictions on non-essential international travel until July 21, 2021.

Despite the pressure from businesses and the drop in the number of COVID-19 cases in North America, the government has decided to extend the border closure.

Following the announcement, Blair also tweeted that the government is planning measures for fully vaccinated Canadians, and others who are currently permitted to enter Canada. The government will provide details on these plans on Monday, June 21.

Those who are exempt from the travel restrictions are Canadian citizens and permanent residents, their family members, work permit holders, some international students, and some approved permanent residents.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau provided some information on the method for proving vaccination status. There will be two phases. The short-term plan is that incoming travellers will upload their vaccination documents to the Arrive Can app. Long term, the government is planning to create a national certification status that will be accepted around the world.

Health officials have previously announced that Canada will only recognize travellers as fully vaccinated if they received one of the four approved vaccines in Canada: Moderna, Pfizer, Astra Zeneca, and Johnson and Johnson.