The Canadian government in a media release announced the extension of travel restrictions till January 21. This means that anyone visiting Canada for tourism, recreation or entertainment would be turned away. The travel restrictions were put in place from March 18 to June 30 as a way to curb the spread of COVID-19. However, they have been rolled over month after month until this current extension into January 2021.
According to the media release, the Canadian government moved the date to align with travel restrictions placed on US travellers. Currently, the restrictions on US travellers extend until December 21 with a very high chance of an extension. In addition, Canada is amending this order to create a framework that allows athletes and sports organizations to hold international single sport events. There are guidelines for this amendment, details of these can be found on the Canadian Heritage website.
Exemptions from the Travel Restrictions
Canadian travel restrictions do not include certain groups of people. People already exempt from this include:
- Canadian citizens (including dual citizens) and permanent residents.
- Certain people with approved Canadian permanent residence.
- Some temporary foreign workers
- Some international students
- Protected persons
- Immediate family members of Canadians
- Extended family members of Canadians
- Travellers for compassionate reasons
For more details on classes of people check the Canadian government webpage.
What compassionate reasons does the Canadian government accept?
The Canadian government, as mention earlier, is allowing people into its borders for compassionate reasons. For instance, these reasons may be any of the below:
- To be with a loved one or family member in their final moments
- To provide support for someone who is critically ill
- Medical support to a person in need of it
- To attend a funeral or end of life ceremony
This exemption is not entirely without its guidelines. Most importantly, people coming into Canada for compassionate reasons must fill out an application to get a limited release from quarantine before the 14 days are over. Similarly, the only set of people exempted from the mandatory 14-day quarantine requirements are essential people. For instance;
- Crew members
- COVID-19 response teams and other health workers
- Visiting members of a workforce
- People coming for urgent medical attention(24-36 hours after arrival)
- Etc
Above all, the Canadian border services officers have the final say on who gains access to the country. Finally, what do you think about the extension of travel restrictions? Let us know in the comments section. In addition, check out these amazing Christmas getaway locations.
