Changes to COVID-19 border measures to be announced next week

The Canada-U.S. border has been closed to non-essential traffic through much of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Graham/Adobe Stock)

By Laura Osman

OTTAWA — Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos says the federal government will announce changes to COVID-19 measures at Canada’s borders next week.

Currently, the government advises against all non-essential international travel.

Anyone travelling within Canada by plane, passenger train or boat must be vaccinated against COVID-19, and international travellers are subject to COVID-19 test requirements.

Duclos says the worst of the latest wave of the pandemic is now behind Canada, and measures will be tweaked accordingly.

At the same time, he says, Canada cannot simply decide to live with the virus and remove measures entirely while so many people are still dying of COVID-19.

He says more children need to be vaccinated against COVID-19, and Canada must administer more booster shots to adults.