Canada to Ease Covid-19 Test Requirement from 28 Feb

Considering the lowering cases of omicron, the government of Canada has decided to ease Canada's entry requirements. Starting from February 28, international travellers, including international students, will be able to enter Canada with a rapid Antigen Test instead of an RT-PCR molecular test. International flights will be permitted to land at all Canadian airports. The new measures will include random testing for vaccinated travellers.

Canadian Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos made the announcement of these changes in a press conference on February 15 in Ottawa, the capital of Canada.

The details of the Canada entry requirements updating from Feb 28 are:

Rapid antigen test will be accepted

International travellers, including students, will be allowed to travel to Canada with COVID-19 rapid antigen test results taken the day before their scheduled flight. Taking a rapid antigen test at home is not sufficient to meet the pre-entry requirement. It must be administered by a laboratory, healthcare entity, or telehealth service. The RT-PCR Test taken 72 hours before the flight will also be accepted.

On-arrival testing will be eased

Fully vaccinated travellers will be randomly selected for the arrival test. They will no longer be required to quarantine while awaiting their test results.

Quarantine exemption of children

Children under 12, travelling with fully vaccinated adults, will continue to be exempt from quarantine. This means they can attend school, camp, or daycare immediately after arriving in Canada.

International flights can land at all airports

International flights will be permitted to land at all Canadian airports as previous Transport Canada's Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) that restricts where international passenger flights can arrive in Canada will expire on February 28.

All the international travellers, including students, must submit their essential information, including proof of vaccination in English or French and a quarantine plan before arriving in Canada, in ArriveCAN, the official Government of Canada platform to provide information when entering Canada.

The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, said,"These changes are possible not only because we have passed the peak of Omicron, but because Canadians across the country have listened to the science and to experts."

The Honourable Marco E. L. Mendicino, Minister of Public Safety, said, "We are committed to a safe reopening; one that provides predictability, flexibility and shows the world that Canada is one of the safest places to travel. Travel is safe and will continue to be safe in Canada."

The Canadian government is pretty aggressive towards making Canada safe and secure for its citizens, as well as immigrants. According to the official data, around 80% of the Canadian population is fully vaccinated. In addition, over 44% of Canadians have taken the additional dose. The relaxation in the travelling requirements is a pretty positive sign for students aspiring to study in Canada Several of them have already secured their seats in the May and September 2022 intakes. Students interested in studying in May Intake are advised to secure their seats at the earliest, as the seats are limited. For this, it is highly recommended that they contact Pyramid's study visa consultants at any of the Pyramid Branches. For more information, they may call on +91 92563-92563 ; info@pyramideservices.com