Canadians who are hoping to travel abroad can delete their ArriveCan app by the end of the week.
Ottawa has announced that by October 1, the federal government’s COVID-19 border restrictions order will end – marking the end of the mandatory use of the ArriveCan app to input your vaccination status and test results.
The change means that Canadians who travel internationally will no longer have to prove they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Under current rules, Canadians who aren’t vaccinated must show a negative COVID-19 test to enter the country, as well as a mandatory 14-day quarantine.
“I’m relieved,” said Kenora MP Eric Melillo, in an interview with the Q Morning Show.
“It’s high time that these COVID-19 requirements are done away with. They’ve long outlived their purpose and unnecessarily continued the hardships for tourist operators here in the Kenora riding and across the country. I’m pleased that the government is dropping these restrictions.”
Earlier this year, Melillo repeatedly warned the government that travel restrictions for American visitors would severely limit northwestern Ontario’s tourism industry over the summer season, and had been fighting for these changes to come into effect months ago.
Delays at airports were also blamed on ArriveCan, as some travellers who struggled to get it to work, or couldn’t or wouldn’t use it, backed up already-long lines. However, airport delays have also been blamed on labour shortages.
The Public Health Agency of Canada notes that 190 fines of up to $5,000 were issued to travellers who refused to use the app or used it incorrectly, which Melillo says should be refunded immediately.
“The government should give any fines incurred by travellers back. There are many, many Canadians who had difficulty with the app – and as a result, were issued large fines. Now that the rules have changed, the right thing to do is to forgive these fines,” Melillo adds.
Ottawa notes the use of masks is still required on domestic and international flights and unvaccinated foreigners are still banned from entering – unless they fall into certain essential worker categories like emergency medical personnel or foreign diplomats.
Border measures have become heavily politicized, with the Conservatives demanding Trudeau lift them all, and Leader Pierre Poilievre made ending them a key policy in his recent leadership campaign.
Although, Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc has warned that Ottawa is prepared to ‘bring back necessary policies’ if there’s a resurgence of COVID-19 over the fall and winter seasons.
Residents are asked not to travel if they have any symptoms of COVID-19, are in isolation, are waiting for the results of a COVID-19 test or have been in close contact with a suspected or confirmed case.