Canada Gazette, Part I, Volume 156, Number 16: ORDERS IN COUNCIL

April 16, 2022

PUBLIC HEALTH AGENCY OF CANADA

QUARANTINE ACT

Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to COVID-19 in Canada Order (Prohibition of Entry into Canada)

P.C. 2022-320 March 31, 2022

Whereas the Governor in Council is of the opinion, based on the declaration of a pandemic by the World Health Organization, that there is an outbreak of a communicable disease, namely coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), in the majority of foreign countries;

Whereas the Governor in Council is of the opinion that the introduction or spread of COVID-19 would pose an imminent and severe risk to public health in Canada;

Whereas the Governor in Council is of the opinion that the entry of persons into Canada who have recently been in a foreign country may introduce or contribute to the spread in Canada of COVID-19 or of new variants of the virus causing COVID-19 that pose risks that differ from those posed by other variants but that are equivalent or more serious;

And whereas the Governor in Council is of the opinion that no reasonable alternatives to prevent the introduction or spread of COVID-19 are available;

Therefore, Her Excellency the Governor General in Council, on the recommendation of the Minister of Health, pursuant to section 58 of the Quarantine Act footnote a, makes the annexed Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to COVID-19 in Canada Order (Prohibition of Entry into Canada).

Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to COVID-19 in Canada Order (Prohibition of Entry into Canada)

Definitions

Definitions

1 The following definitions apply in this Order.

Canadian Forces
means the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada. (Forces canadiennes)
common-law partner
has the same meaning as in subsection 1(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations. (conjoint de fait)
cruise ship
has the same meaning as in subsection 1(1) of Interim Order No. 2 Respecting Vessel Restrictions and Vaccination Requirements Due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) as that Order read on January 15, 2022. (navire de croisière)
dependent child
has the same meaning as in section 2 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations. (enfant à charge)
extended family member,
in respect of a person, means
  • (a) a sibling, half-sibling or step-sibling of the person; or
  • (b) a grandparent of the person. (membre de la famille élargie)
foreign national
has the same meaning as in subsection 2(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. (étranger)
fully vaccinated person
has the same meaning as in subsection 1.1(1) of the Quarantine Order. (personne entièrement vaccinée)
immediate family member,
in respect of a person, means
  • (a) the spouse or common-law partner of the person;
  • (b) a dependent child of the person or of the person’s spouse or common-law partner;
  • (c) a dependent child of the dependent child referred to in paragraph (b);
  • (d) the parent or step-parent of the person or of the person’s spouse or common-law partner; or
  • (e) the guardian or tutor of the person. (membre de la famille immédiate)
permanent resident of Canada
has the meaning assigned by the definition permanent resident in subsection 2(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. (résident permanent du Canada)
protected person
has the same meaning as in subsection 95(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. (personne protégée)
Quarantine Order
means the Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to COVID-19 in Canada Order (Quarantine, Isolation and Other Obligations). (Décret visant la quarantaine)
temporary resident
means a temporary resident within the meaning of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. (résident temporaire)
variant of concern
means a SARS-CoV-2 variant designated as a variant of concern by the World Health Organization. (variant préoccupant)

Prohibitions

Signs and symptoms

2 (1) A foreign national is prohibited from entering Canada if

Exception — cruise ship

(2) Despite subsection (1), a person referred to in subsection 5.1(1.1) of the Quarantine Order, other than a person referred to in subsection 4.921(1) of that Order, may enter Canada on board a cruise ship if

Vaccination

3 (1) A foreign national is prohibited from entering Canada unless they are a fully vaccinated person and they comply with the applicable requirement under the Quarantine Order to provide evidence of COVID-19 vaccination.

Non-application — less than 18 years of age

(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to a person who is less than 18 years of age if they

Listed institution

(3) For the purposes of paragraph (2)(d), a listed institution is an institution that is

Non-application — dependent adults

(4) Subsection (1) does not apply to a person who is 18 years of age or older if they are dependent on one or more other persons for care or support by reason of mental or physical limitation and they seek to enter Canada with their parent, step-parent, guardian or tutor and that parent, step-parent, guardian or tutor

Non-application — other persons

(5) Subsection (1) does not apply to

Non-application — compassionate grounds

(6) Subsection (1) does not apply to a person if the Minister of Health determines that they seek to engage in one of the following activities:

Non-application — remote communities

(7) Subsection (1) does not apply to a person if they are a habitual resident of Hyder, Alaska, Northwest Angle, Minnesota or Point Roberts, Washington who

Non-application — transit

(8) Subsection (1) does not apply to a person

Non-application — contraindications

(9) Subsection (1) does not apply to a person if they have a contraindication to a COVID-19 vaccine dosage regimen, within the meaning of the Quarantine Order, and they comply with the requirement under that Order to provide evidence confirming that fact.

Pre-arrival COVID-19 test

4 A foreign national who is required, under the Quarantine Order, to have in their possession evidence of a COVID-19 molecular test or evidence of a COVID-19 antigen test and to provide that evidence is prohibited from entering Canada if they do not comply with that requirement.

Non-application — evacuated person

5 (1) Section 2, subsection 3(1) and section 4 do not apply to a person or any member of a class of persons who enters Canada on board a conveyance organized by the Government of Canada and is authorized by the Minister of Health, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration to be evacuated from a country and who, as determined by the Minister of Foreign Affairs or the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, is in exigent circumstances and suffering hardship, if the person complies with the conditions that the Minister of Health may impose to minimize the risk of introduction or spread of COVID-19.

Non-application — crew member

(2) Sections 2 and 4 do not apply to a crew member as defined in subsection 101.01(1) of the Canadian Aviation Regulations or a member of a crew as defined in subsection 3(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations who enters Canada on board a conveyance organized by the Government of Canada that transports a person referred to in subsection (1).

Quarantine

6 A foreign national who is required to quarantine under the Quarantine Order is prohibited from entering Canada if, based on the purpose of entry or the anticipated length of their stay, they cannot comply with that requirement.

Immediate Measures

Minister of Health’s power

7 (1) Despite any other provision of this Order, other than section 8, the Minister of Health may — if the Minister determines that immediate measures are necessary to minimize the introduction or spread of a variant of concern in Canada — prohibit, for a period of no more than 30 days, a foreign national or any member of a class of foreign nationals from entering Canada, if, within a period of 14 days before the day on which they seek to enter Canada, they were in a country where, as determined by the Minister,

Factors

(2) For the purposes of subsection (1), the Minister of Health must consider the following factors:

Non-application

(3) Subsection (1) does not apply to

Application

Non-application

8 This Order does not apply to

Powers and Obligations

Powers and obligations

9 For greater certainty, this Order does not affect any of the powers and obligations set out in the Quarantine Act.

Amendment to Previous Order, Cessation of Effect, Repeal and Coming into Force

Amendment to Previous Order

10 Section 10 of the Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to COVID-19 in Canada Order (Prohibition of Entry into Canada) footnote 1 is replaced by the following:

April 1, 2022

10 This Order ceases to have effect at 00:00:59 Eastern Daylight Time on April 1, 2022.

Cessation of Effect

May 31, 2022

11 This Order ceases to have effect at 23:59:59 Eastern Daylight Time on May 31, 2022.

Repeal

12 The Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to COVID-19 in Canada Order (Prohibition of Entry into Canada)footnote 1 is repealed.

Coming into Force

March 31, 2022

13 (1) Sections 10 and 11 come into force at 23:59:58 Eastern Daylight Time on March 31, 2022.

April 1, 2022

(2) Sections 1 to 9 and 12 and the Schedule come into force at 00:01:00 Eastern Daylight Time on April 1, 2022.

SCHEDULE

(Paragraph 3(5)(g))

Occupational Categories
Item

Column 1

Unit Group

Column 2

National Occupational Classification Code
1 Managers in agriculture 0821
2 Managers in horticulture 0822
3 Butchers, meat cutters and fishmongers — retail and wholesale 6331
4 Agricultural service contractors, farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers 8252
5 Contractors and supervisors, landscaping, grounds maintenance and horticulture services 8255
6 General farm workers 8431
7 Nursery and greenhouse workers 8432
8 Harvesting labourers 8611
9 Process control and machine operators, food, beverage and associated products processing 9461
10 Industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers 9462
11 Fish and seafood plant workers 9463
12 Labourers in food and beverage processing 9617
13 Labourers in fish and seafood processing 9618

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order.)

Proposal

This Order in Council, entitled Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to COVID-19 in Canada Order (Prohibition of Entry into Canada), is made pursuant to section 58 of the Quarantine Act.

The Order repeals and replaces Order in Council P.C. 2022-177 of the same title, which came into force on February 28, 2022.

The new Order is complemented by the Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to COVID-19 in Canada Order (Quarantine, Isolation and Other Obligations) [the Quarantine Order] made under the Quarantine Act, which imposes testing, isolation, quarantine, and other requirements to prevent the introduction or spread of COVID-19, and also by domestic travel-related measures.

Except for the provisions of this Order that will come into force at 00:01:00 EDT on April 1, 2022, as detailed under the “Implications” section, this Order will be in effect from 23:59:58 EDT on March 31, 2022, until 23:59:59 EDT on May 31, 2022.

Objective

The new Order maintains Canada’s focus on reducing the introduction and spread of COVID-19 by decreasing the risk of importing cases from outside the country. The Order continues to prohibit foreign nationals from entering Canada from any country if they fail to meet the pre-entry obligations under the Quarantine Order. This Order also continues to prohibit entry of foreign nationals arriving from any country if they know they have COVID-19, have reasonable grounds to suspect they have COVID-19 or are exhibiting signs and symptoms of COVID-19, subject to certain narrow exceptions, which now include cruise travellers at their final destination.

All changes under the Order are described under the “Implications” section. The new Order extends the duration of the measures until May 31, 2022.

Background

COVID-19

COVID-19 is caused by a novel coronavirus capable of causing severe illness, named Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Although it is part of a family of viruses that includes Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), SARS-CoV-2 is more contagious.

COVID-19 was first detected in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease is caused by a new strain of coronavirus never before seen in humans. Information about the virus, how it causes disease, whom it affects, and how to appropriately treat or prevent illness has been developing over the past two years. Information continues to develop and evolve as new variants of the virus emerge.

SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, spreads from an infected person to others through short- and long-range aerosols when an infected person breathes, coughs, sneezes, sings, shouts, or talks. The droplets vary in size, from large droplets that fall to the ground rapidly (within seconds or minutes) near the infected person, to smaller droplets, sometimes called aerosols, which linger in the air in some circumstances.

COVID-19 can be a severe, life-threatening respiratory disease. Patients with COVID-19 may present symptoms that may include fever, malaise, dry cough, and shortness of breath. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and death. Older individuals and those with a weakened immune system or an underlying medical condition are at a higher risk of severe disease. The time from exposure to onset of symptoms can vary considerably among those infected, with an estimated median of 5 to 6 days; evidence suggests this is shorter for the Omicron variant. Approximately 95% of those infected will develop symptoms within 14 days of exposure. Evidence indicates that the majority of individuals infected with COVID-19 who have a healthy immune system may transmit the virus up to 10 days after becoming infectious.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared an outbreak of what is now known as COVID-19 to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on January 30, 2020, and a pandemic on March 11, 2020. COVID-19 has demonstrated that it can cause widespread illness if not controlled. The WHO continues to provide technical guidance and advice to countries for controlling the pandemic, including identification of cases and recommendations for measures to prevent further spread. Since September 2020, multiple countries have detected SARS-CoV-2 variants whose mutations may increase pathogenicity and/or transmissibility, and potentially reduce vaccine effectiveness; these are referred to as variants of concern. The introduction of the new, more transmissible variants of concern of the virus causing COVID-19 has further worsened the negative health impacts of COVID-19.

Evidence indicates that the domestic Omicron wave has peaked. Domestic availability of COVID-19 vaccines and high levels of vaccination coverage among the people of Canada provide protection against infection (though immunity wanes over time) and severe disease. Emerging evidence also suggests that a booster dose provides additional protection against infection, and in particular against severe disease. Domestic hospitalization rates for COVID-19 are decreasing. In addition, Canada has authorized therapeutic products to prevent the virus from multiplying in human cells and to treat the symptoms of COVID-19 so that provinces and territories may administer these drugs, as required.

Based on these factors, effective February 28, 2022, the Government of Canada adjusted its travel health notice from a Level 3 to a Level 2, meaning that the Government ceased recommending that Canadians avoid travel for non-essential purposes and is instead advising travellers to practise enhanced health precautions when travelling internationally.

Testing

Testing capabilities advanced significantly in early 2021. Over 160 countries and territories require a negative pre-travel COVID-19 test or medical certificate as a condition of entry into their jurisdictions. The United States, for instance, currently requires that all travellers arriving by air to the United States have evidence of a negative pre-departure molecular or antigen test no more than one day prior to boarding a flight to the United States, irrespective of vaccination status. The United States does not currently require testing for entry at the land border.

Canada’s high vaccination rates and epidemiological situation support lifting of pre-entry testing for fully vaccinated travellers at this time. Furthermore, pre-entry test positivity from February 27 to March 19, 2022, for children less than 12 years of age is 1.81%, representing a significantly lower public health risk posed by this cohort when compared to pre-entry test positivity of other unvaccinated cohorts. Many countries across Europe have recently relaxed several COVID-19 measures, including testing and quarantine entry requirements, and continue to plan for further relaxation. Pre-entry testing requirements remain in place for other unvaccinated travellers in order to protect against the introduction of new variants and the spread of COVID-19 in Canada and to reduce the potential burden on the health care system. Emergence of variants of concern is more likely to occur with the persistence of limited COVID-19 vaccine access in many countries and/or less effective vaccines in use. In these regards, unvaccinated travellers 12 years of age or older may present a greater risk of variants of concern at the border, supporting a rationale for differential public health requirements on entry.

Antigen tests have a lower sensitivity than molecular tests for detecting COVID-19 over the duration of infection, and are less likely to detect asymptomatic infections. However, evidence indicates that rapid antigen tests (RATs) can detect most cases with high viral load, which are the most likely to be infectious. The reliability of RATs, coupled with their broad international availability, high domestic vaccination rates, and the improving epidemiological situation in Canada, supports adoption of RATs for the purposes of pre-entry testing of travellers required to provide proof of pre-entry testing, seeking to enter Canada. Accepting RATs in some circumstances brings Canada’s border and travel measures into closer alignment with those of many other countries, including the United States and many G7 allies, which either do not have pre-entry testing requirements in effect or accept evidence from RATs to meet pre-entry testing requirements. In addition, recognizing negative RAT results for Canada’s pre-entry test requirement reduces the barriers to travel, given the higher cost and difficulty of acquiring molecular tests in some jurisdictions.

Available science demonstrates that, as is the case with many other viruses, a person may continue to obtain a positive molecular test result up to 180 days after their infection, even though they are no longer considered infectious. Positive molecular test results of previously infected individuals, for tests performed on a specimen collected up to 180 days prior, should not be considered as evidence of a new infection posing risk, but rather that a person has recovered from a prior COVID-19 infection. Since a positive test result may inadvertently prevent a recovered patient from entering Canada, acceptable proof of prior infection from an asymptomatic traveller is accepted as an alternative to a negative pre-entry test. Requiring that prior positive test results be performed on a specimen collected at least 10 days before the initial scheduled departure (by air) or arrival time (by land) allows for the time needed to become non-infectious, thus preventing those persons who may be infectious from travelling and possibly transmitting COVID-19 upon travel to Canada. Due to the possibility of a false positive result from a rapid antigen test, a positive molecular test result will continue to be required as proof of a previous positive COVID-19 infection.

Vaccination

Another technological development assisting in pandemic control measures is COVID-19 vaccines. The COVID-19 vaccines are effective at preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19. Against earlier variants of concern such as Delta, two doses of the vaccine decreased symptomatic and asymptomatic infection and hence could reduce the risk of transmission of SARS-CoV-2; however, effectiveness varied depending on the COVID-19 vaccine product received and decreased over time following vaccination. Despite the proven efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines, Omicron has been reported to have a high number of concerning mutations, including mutations to the spike protein, which is the target of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, as well as in locations thought to be potential drivers of transmissibility. The concerns about these mutations and the potential risks are that this variant of concern is able to spread faster than previous variants (e.g. Delta). This is the case with Omicron sub-lineage, BA.2, which has a growth advantage over the first detected sub-lineage, BA.1, due to its genetic sequence and differences in the spike protein. However, preliminary findings do not suggest a significant difference in severity between the two sub-lineages. Against Omicron, two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine are less effective at decreasing symptomatic or asymptomatic infection, but still offer reasonable protection against severe disease. A booster dose increases protection against severe disease, as well as against infection but protection remains lower than the protection against earlier variants such as Delta.

Globally, 63.8% of the world population has received at least one dose, and 56.8% is fully vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine, as of March 15, 2022. While 73.6% of people in high-income countries have been fully vaccinated, only 14.0% of people in low-income countries have received at least one dose. Vaccine accessibility remains a challenge, especially for children and adolescents.

In the United States, as of January 22, 2022, all inbound foreign national travellers seeking to enter via land ports of entry or ferry terminals — whether for essential or non-essential reasons — must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (two weeks after their second dose in a two-dose series, or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine) and provide related proof of vaccination. This is in addition to the December 21, 2021, requirement for all inbound foreign nationals entering the United States by air to be fully vaccinated. There are some exceptions for unvaccinated non-U.S. citizens arriving by air, and these include, but are not limited to, persons on diplomatic or official foreign government travel, children under 18 years of age, persons with documented medical contraindications to receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, and persons issued a humanitarian or emergency exception.

The 2022 cruise ship season begins in early April, with the first vessel arriving in Victoria, British Columbia, on April 6, 2022. Travellers arriving by cruise ship must be fully vaccinated, with limited exceptions. Vaccination requirements will be verified by the authorized representative of a cruise ship prior to embarkation as a requirement under the Transport Canada Interim Order (TC IO) made under the Canada Shipping Act, 2001 (Interim Order No. 3 Respecting Vessel Restrictions and Vaccination Requirements Due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)). The vaccination requirements under the TC IO are generally aligned with those in the emergency orders made under the Quarantine Act. Similar to air mode, authorized representatives will be advised that foreign nationals who do not meet the requirements in the emergency orders will be prohibited entry into Canada and that they are prevented from transporting these individuals into Canada under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (paragraph 148(1)(a)) and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (paragraph 258.1(c)). In addition to the regulatory requirements in place, most major cruise lines travelling to Canada have implemented their own vaccination requirements for passengers, which are increasingly strict, even for children under the age of 5 who are ineligible for vaccination altogether. The Holland America, RSSC-Regent, Oceana, and Seaborn lines continue to require all passengers to be fully vaccinated; therefore, children who are not eligible for vaccination are not able to board. Some cruise lines, such as Crystal, Celebrity, Princess, Disney and Norwegian, have vaccination exemptions for children younger than 5 to allow them to sail without a vaccination. However, the number of exemptions that can be issued for young children per voyage is often limited (aiming for less than 5% of passengers as unvaccinated). Carnival and Royal Caribbean are still permitting all children 12 and under to board without proof of vaccination, but if they are unvaccinated, they may be restricted from certain cruise-related activities.

As of March 17, 2022, 76.8% of the total U.S. population has received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, 65.3% is fully vaccinated, and 44.4% of the fully vaccinated population has received a booster dose. By comparison, as of March 16, 2022, over 85% of the Canadian population had received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, with over 81% having received two doses. Almost 57% of children ages 5 to 11 have received at least one dose, and over 17.6 million Canadians have received a booster dose.

The Government of Canada has sought to align exemptions for international and domestic vaccination-related requirements. In terms of domestic measures, on August 13, 2021, the Government of Canada announced its intent to require COVID-19 vaccination for federal employees and domestic air, rail, and marine travellers. As of October 30, 2021, the Government of Canada requires employers in the federally regulated air, rail, and marine transportation sectors to establish vaccination policies for their employees.

Effective October 30, 2021, air passengers departing from Canadian airports, travellers on VIA Rail and Rocky Mountaineer trains, and travellers 12 years of age and older on non-essential passenger vessels on voyages of 24 hours or more, such as cruise ships, needed to be vaccinated or show a valid COVID-19 negative molecular test result taken within 72 hours prior to the scheduled departure time. As of November 30, 2021, all domestic travellers were required to be fully vaccinated, with very limited exceptions to address specific situations, such as emergency travel and those medically unable to be vaccinated. Effective January 15, 2022, the Government of Canada reduced the number of exemptions for unvaccinated or partially vaccinated foreign nationals seeking to enter Canada.

As of February 28, 2022, Canada’s current list of accepted vaccines for the purposes of entry and requirement for quarantine and other exemptions includes 10 COVID-19 vaccines that have currently completed the WHO Emergency Use Listing (EUL) process. Five of those are currently authorized by Health Canada for sale and use in Canada. WHO EUL review of new COVID-19 vaccines is an ongoing process as part of efforts to increase vaccine availability and access worldwide. Canada considers new WHO EUL COVID-19 vaccines for border entry purposes based on the available scientific data and review undertaken by the WHO.

Other measures

Even at current levels of vaccination coverage, core public health and personal protective measures, such as limiting travel and contacts in public places, continue to be important for managing the increase in COVID-19 cases, protecting the vulnerable, and reducing the risk of overwhelming health care capacity.

Requiring that unvaccinated or partially vaccinated persons wear masks in public places remains an effective public health measure to prevent the transmission of COVID-19. Evidence suggests that mask use decreases transmission in the community when adherence levels are good and when masks are worn in accordance with public health guidance.

COVID-19 situation globally

The cumulative number of COVID-19 cases reported globally is now over 461 million and the number of deaths exceeds 6.0 million. For the week of March 7 to 13, 2022, the global number of new cases reported was over 11 million, an 8% increase as compared to the previous week. The large number of weekly case counts appears to be driven by the circulation of the more transmissible Omicron variant, easing of domestic public health and border measures coupled with increased social mixing and low global vaccine coverage.

According to the WHO weekly report, as of March 13, 2022, the Western Pacific, African, and European regions reported increases in the incidence of weekly cases (an increase of 29%, 12% and 2% respectively), while all other regions reported decreases. The Western Pacific region reported over 5.0 million new cases, representing 44% of the new cases reported globally in the previous week. Europe, reporting over 4.9 million cases in the previous week, also accounted for 44% of all new global cases.

Despite efforts to extend vaccination coverage, many countries across all six WHO regions continue to experience surges in COVID-19 cases. As of March 13, 2022, the countries reporting the highest number of cases in the previous seven days as compared to the prior week were the Republic of Korea (2.1 million new cases; 44% increase), Vietnam (1.6 million new cases; 65% increase), Germany (1.4 million new cases; 22% increase), the Netherlands (0.47 million new cases; 42% increase), and France (0.42 million new cases; 20% increase). The United States continues to experience very high Omicron-driven COVID-19 activity across the country, with over 31 000 daily new cases reported in the week of March 9 to 15, 2022; however, these rates represent a 77% decrease from the previous month. The domestic test positivity rate in the United States has decreased to 2.8% as of March 8, 2022.

In many countries, the spread of more contagious variants of concern has contributed to increased transmission. Since fall of 2020, more transmissible variants of the virus were detected in the United Kingdom, South Africa, Brazil, and India and spread to many countries around the globe, including the United States and Canada. International air travel is a vector of global transmission. The Omicron variant currently predominates, with all other variants, including variants of concern (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta) and variants of interest (Lambda and Mu), continuing to decline in all six WHO regions. Of the 346 064 positive variant of concern sequences uploaded to the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data, with specimens collected over the four weeks ending March 7, 2022, approximately 99.99% were Omicron, with Delta and Alpha making up the remainder. Some cases of other variants of interest, for example recombinant AY.4 x BA.1, were reported in extremely small numbers but are not variants of concern at this time.

On December 15, 2021, the Government of Canada reinstated a Level 3 Omicron-SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern global travel health notice to advise against any non-essential travel abroad, due to travellers’ increased risk of being infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 when travelling internationally, as well as the risk of facing difficulties returning to Canada or of having to remain abroad due to travel restrictions by foreign governments. On February 28, 2022, the Government of Canada adjusted its travel health notice from a Level 3 to a Level 2, meaning that the Government ceased recommending that Canadians avoid travel for non-essential purposes. On March 7, 2022, the Government of Canada also adjusted the cruise ship travel notice and removed the blanket advisory to avoid all cruise ship travel. The advisory was updated to allow travellers to make an informed decision about cruise travel. This direction aligns with that of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which updated its advice on February 15, 2022, and no longer recommends that travellers avoid all cruise ship travel, unless they are unvaccinated or at increased risk of severe illness.

Nonetheless, the increased transmission associated with these variants increases the risk of accelerated spread. There remains the potential for a resurgence of travel-related cases in Canada.

The WHO has published an interim guidance document providing national authorities with a step-by-step approach to decision-making for calibrating risk mitigation measures and establishing policies to allow for safe international travel, but currently, there is no internationally accepted standard for establishing travel thresholds or assessing a country’s COVID-19 risk. At this time, it is the view of the Government of Canada that travel continues to present a risk of importing cases, including cases of new variants of the virus that causes COVID-19, and increases the potential for onward community transmission of COVID-19. With inequities globally with regard to vaccine access, efforts to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19 and variants of concern continue.

In the United States, cruise ships have been operating passenger voyages since the summer of 2021, as enabled through the U.S. CDC Framework for Conditional Sailing Order (CSO) issued on October 30, 2020. The CSO outlined a phased approach to steer the safe resumption of passenger operations on board cruise ships, including (1) the establishment of laboratory testing of crew onboard cruise ships in U.S. waters; (2) simulated voyages designed to test the ability of cruise ship operators to mitigate COVID-19 transmission on board cruise ships; (3) a certification process; and (4) a return to passenger voyages. The CSO expired on January 15, 2022, and was replaced by the voluntary CDC COVID-19 Program for Cruise Ships in U.S. Waters in early February 2022. To date, 114 vessels have opted into the Program and are required to follow all CDC recommendations and guidance as a condition of their participation. Therefore, ships participating in the Program remain subject to CDC measures, which include surveillance through daily enhanced data collection; COVID-19 testing for crew members, symptomatic travellers as well as their close contacts; and isolation and quarantine for confirmed cases.

Surveillance data gathered through CDC mechanisms allow for an understanding of the dynamics surrounding the Omicron variant within U.S. passenger cruise voyages. CDC enhanced data collection shows that since December 21, 2021, case counts and the positivity rate on board cruise ships operating in U.S. waters have consistently followed a downward trend. During this period, cases reached a peak in the seven-day period between January 7 and January 13, 2022, when a total of 7 147 cases were registered among passengers and crew on board 107 ships (representing a positivity rate of 3.83%). In comparison, reporting data for the seven-day period between March 4 and 10, 2022, saw case counts descend to a total of 513 cases among passengers and crew on board 111 ships (representing a positivity rate of 0.19%). Since late December 2021, counts of medical interventions (including hospitalizations, requirements for mechanical ventilation and emergency medical evacuations) have remained relatively stable. Reported incidents have seen an overall decline from a peak seen during the seven-day period between January 14 and January 20, 2022, where CDC reporting data showed a count of five hospitalizations, zero requirements for mechanical ventilation, and four emergency medical evacuations. It is notable that since December 21, 2021, there have been zero incidents where cruise passengers required mechanical ventilation.

COVID-19 situation in Canada

While most epidemiological indicators of COVID-19 disease activity have continued to improve nationally and in most jurisdictions, the SARS-CoV-2 virus is still circulating widely and the epidemiological situation varies across the country. Easing of public health measures in Canada could lead to further increased transmission.

National confirmed daily case counts remain high, with a seven-day moving average of 4 680 daily cases for the week ending March 16, 2022. This represents a 3.8% decrease from the previous week. Nationally, for the week ending March 16, 2022, hospitalizations were down 11.6% (seven-day moving average of 3 619) and intensive care unit admissions were down 12.1% (seven-day moving average of 441). The seven-day moving average for daily deaths was 48 for the week ending March 16, 2022, a decrease of 8.5% from the previous week. National case and death statistics are compiled using data from 9 of 13 provinces and territories, and hospitalizations and intensive care unit admissions are compiled using data from 6 of 13 provinces and territories.

With respect to provincial/territorial testing, an average of approximately 37 000 daily tests were performed between March 9 and 15, 2022. This was approximately 6.6% fewer daily tests than the previous week. The test positivity rate was 13.9%, up from approximately 12.5% the previous week. Most jurisdictions have implemented testing policies to target at-risk populations; therefore, the true incidence of disease is likely much higher than what is reported.

Additional evidence demonstrates that a combination of pre-entry and post-arrival testing facilitates the detection of persons with COVID-19 entering Canada. Identification of cases permits genetic sequencing and the identification of variants of concern, including new variants of concern that may emerge in the future, to support public health efforts to reduce COVID-19 spread.

While Omicron is more transmissible than previous variants, available evidence indicates it is less severe, and vaccines continue to be effective against severe outcomes. The latest data show that, depending on age, hospitalization rates continue to be 3 to 4 times higher among unvaccinated persons compared to those fully vaccinated, and up to 13 times higher compared to those fully vaccinated with an additional dose.

Canada has seen a 68% decrease in the number of travellers arriving from the United States in February 2022 compared to February 2019, and a 63% decrease among international travellers arriving from all other countries for the same period (pre-pandemic). However, there has been a 102% increase in the number of travellers arriving from the United States in February 2022 compared to February 2021, and a 322% increase among international travellers arriving from all other countries for the same period. Prior to March 2020, all known cases of COVID-19 in Canada were the result of international exposure. The Government of Canada’s international border restrictions in March 2020 were effective in initially reducing the travel-related number of COVID-19 cases as a result of decreased volume of travellers permitted entry, and the number of cases has since fluctuated with the global trend. In February 2021, on-arrival COVID-19 testing was implemented for international travellers arriving into Canada. As of March 10, 2022, the Public Health Agency of Canada has received over 4.33 million test results from travellers arriving into Canada between February 21, 2021, and February 26, 2022, who were tested under this program. With the emergence of the Omicron variant in late November 2021, and its subsequent spread around the globe, test positivity among both partially and non-vaccinated and fully vaccinated travellers increased, peaking at 19.85% and 9.29%, respectively, in the first week of January 2022. Since then, test positivity rates for both traveller groups have steadily decreased, to 2.67% and 1.42% in the week ending February 26, 2022. Importantly, although test positivity rates have decreased, they remain higher than those prior to the emergence of the Omicron variant. Border measures for fully vaccinated travellers for discretionary and non-essential travel were eased on January 15, 2022, at the same time that mandatory vaccination requirements were introduced for many modes of travel through Transport Canada’s interim order.

The Canada Border Testing Program has detected over 90 000 cases of COVID-19 in arriving international travellers since the program was implemented in February 2021. Every imported case may set off a chain of transmission in Canada. Preventing infected travellers from entering Canada until they have recovered has reduced secondary transmission in Canadian communities. There is some evidence that each infected international traveller passes the virus on to at least one or two other people. As such, the pre-entry test may have prevented an even larger number of secondary infections since it was implemented. This has been an important component to reduce pressure on Canada’s health care system during successive waves of COVID-19 and to protect Canada’s vulnerable populations. However, as mentioned above, Canada’s high vaccination rates and improving epidemiological situation can support lifting of pre-entry testing for fully vaccinated travellers at this time. Pre-entry testing requirements remain in place for unvaccinated travellers in order to protect against the introduction of new variants and the spread of COVID-19 in Canada and to reduce the potential burden on the health care system.

Government of Canada response to COVID-19 pandemic

The Government of Canada’s top priority is the health and safety of Canadians. To limit the introduction and spread of COVID-19 in Canada, the Government of Canada has taken unprecedented action to implement a comprehensive strategy with layers of precautionary measures.

Between February 3, 2020, and February 28, 2022, 76 emergency orders were made under the Quarantine Act to minimize the risk of exposure to COVID-19 in Canada — to reduce the risk of importation from other countries, to repatriate Canadians, and to strengthen measures at the border to reduce the impact of COVID-19 in Canada. Some provinces and territories have implemented their own restrictions. Together, these measures have been effective in significantly reducing the number of travel-related cases.

Changes to international travel restrictions and advice are based on national and international evidence-based risk assessments. The Government of Canada recognizes that entry prohibitions, mandatory quarantine requirements, vaccination programs, and testing protocols place significant burdens on the Canadian economy, Canadians, and their immediate and extended families.

The Government of Canada’s phased approach to easing border measures for fully vaccinated travellers is grounded in meeting specific public health criteria, and based on scientific evidence and the epidemiological situation in Canada and globally. On July 5, 2021, fully vaccinated travellers eligible to enter Canada were granted an exemption from quarantine, subject to meeting the applicable requirements, including providing proof of vaccination. Then, on August 9, 2021, fully vaccinated American citizens and permanent residents arriving from the United States were allowed to enter Canada for optional or discretionary purposes; and, as of September 7, 2021, fully vaccinated foreign nationals from all countries were allowed to enter Canada for optional or discretionary purposes and exempted from quarantine, subject to conditions. However, with the November 21, 2021, emergency orders, the Government of Canada shifted border measure restrictions from purpose of travel to vaccination status of the traveller and introduced additional measures to limit the entry of unvaccinated foreign nationals.

With respect to cruise travel, on May 29, 2020, the Minister of Transport initially announced a prohibition on cruise ships equipped with overnight accommodations and certified to carry more than 100 persons from operating in Canadian waters. On July 15, 2021, the Minister of Transport announced that as of November 1, 2021, the prohibition of cruise ships in Canadian waters would no longer be in effect if operators were able to fully comply with public health requirements. On November 30, 2021, Transport Canada issued Interim Order Respecting Vessel Restrictions and Vaccination Requirements Due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) [TC IO], which outlined vaccination and testing requirements for passengers and crew, reporting requirements, mandatory COVID-19 management plans and port agreements; these requirements were extended on January 15, 2022, under TC IO No. 2. The COVID-19 management plans are to include pre-embarkation measures; measures to prevent and limit transmission on board; measures to prevent transmission during shore excursions and/or port visits; and preparedness and response measures for suspected/confirmed cases of COVID-19. The port agreements or “ship-to-shore checklists” are signed by cruise operators and port authorities and describe measures in place shore side to protect public health, including an outbreak response plan. Provincial and local public health authorities are aware of the ship-to-shore checklist, and contact information for public health authorities is included. TC IO No. 2 was signed on March 31, 2022, and includes additional measures such as pre-embarkation testing for passengers and more detailed testing and reporting requirements.

Vaccines are a critical tool in supporting the resumption of fuller societal functioning and to safely increase immunity. High levels of vaccination coverage are associated with decreases in hospitalizations and deaths (and corresponding decreased strain on critical care resources). Restricting the entry of unvaccinated travellers remains an important strategy for preventing the introduction of new variants and the spread of COVID-19 in Canada and to reduce the potential burden on the health care system. The Government of Canada has worked to align, where appropriate, rules for domestic and international travel, particularly with respect to exemptions, in order to streamline border processes.

Many countries continue to experience COVID-19 transmission and have different levels of vaccination coverage. In November 2021, the Government introduced the Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to COVID-19 in Canada Order (Prohibition of Entry into Canada — Specified Countries), which prohibited entry of foreign national travellers, with limited exceptions, who had, in the prior 14 days, been in a country where, as determined by the Chief Public Health Officer, there was an outbreak or a risk of having an outbreak of the Omicron variant. This Order expired on January 31, 2022. The increased transmission associated with these variants increases the risk of accelerated spread, and there remains the potential for a resurgence of travel-related cases in Canada. As such, a similar power of entry prohibition, exercised at the Minister of Health’s discretion, was incorporated into the Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to COVID-19 in Canada Order (Prohibition of Entry into Canada) that was published in February 2022.

With more transmissible variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 in countries around the world, the Government of Canada continues to take a data-driven, scientific evidence-based, and precautionary approach to its border measures for travellers entering Canada. To minimize the risk of further importation or spread of new variants of concern into the country, the Government of Canada is maintaining some measures to help limit introduction and community transmission of COVID-19 and its variants of concern while recognizing the effectiveness of high levels of vaccination coverage and easing border measures for fully vaccinated travellers.

Implications

Key impacts for travellers entering Canada

As was the case under the previous Order, foreign nationals travelling for any purpose will continue to be prohibited entry into Canada from any country if they know that they have COVID-19, have reasonable grounds to suspect that they have COVID-19 or are exhibiting signs and symptoms of COVID-19, subject to certain exceptions. This order newly includes travellers arriving at their final destination on a cruise in these exceptions, as described below. The enforcement of the prohibition on entry for foreign nationals who arrive exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms, despite having appeared healthy prior to boarding an aircraft or vessel, may be deferred to the extent required to maintain public health and ensure the safety of the commercial transportation system.

The Order will continue to permit the entry of fully vaccinated foreign nationals arriving for any purpose, as long as they have complied with all applicable measures under the Quarantine Order. To benefit from eased measures, fully vaccinated travellers must continue to submit evidence of COVID-19 vaccination with a vaccine dosage regimen accepted by the Minister of Health. This evidence of vaccination must usually be provided to the Minister of Health by the electronic means specified by the Minister, namely ArriveCAN, the official application/web portal for electronic submissions required under the Quarantine Order. Fully vaccinated foreign nationals seeking to enter Canada on that basis, by air, must submit the required proof of vaccination before boarding a flight to Canada. Fully vaccinated foreign nationals seeking to enter by land must submit their evidence of vaccination before entering Canada, while those entering by water must do so before or when entering Canada.

Unvaccinated foreign national travellers continue to only be permitted entry if they meet one of the exemptions in the Order and are compliant with any applicable measures under the Quarantine Order. For example, unvaccinated travellers must continue to provide their pre-entry COVID-19 test evidence before boarding a flight to Canada. When entering by land or water, unvaccinated travellers must have this evidence in their possession and provide it upon request.

Effective 00:01:00 Eastern daylight time on April 1, 2022, the following changes will take place under this Order.

With the restart of the cruise ship industry in Canada, the new Order seeks to minimize the risks of importation and further community transmission of COVID-19 associated with this mode of transportation. Extensive work has been done with cruise ship operators and Transport Canada to identify and mitigate areas of higher risk on cruises, including modifications to the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems in isolation suites to prevent circulation of air to other areas of the vessel. With increased vaccine availability, on-board testing and isolation protocols, as well as on-board medical facilities, the new measures are considered an acceptable method by which to control the risk of importing new COVID-19 cases from abroad. Authorized representatives of the cruise ship hold obligations under the new provisions, along with travellers themselves in a joint effort to protect Canadians. Under the TC IO, cruise travellers must provide the authorized representative of the cruise ship a negative pre-embarkation COVID-19 test and be fully vaccinated, with limited exceptions. During the voyage, the authorized representatives will be required to test symptomatic passengers and crew (rapid antigen tests for symptomatic passengers are used and positive results are confirmed using a molecular test). Positive travellers will be required to isolate on board and close contacts of COVID-19 positive passengers will also be tested.

The Order allows fully vaccinated or medically contraindicated foreign national cruise ship passengers who know that they have COVID-19, have reasonable grounds to suspect that they have COVID-19 or are exhibiting signs and symptoms of COVID-19 to enter Canada if they remain in isolation on board the vessel for the duration of their stay in Canada. If the traveller’s itinerary provided a Canadian port as the traveller’s final destination on the cruise ship, the Order allows such travellers who, but for this, would otherwise be permitted entry to Canada to disembark at the Canadian port and to isolate on land, subject to a number of conditions detailed in the Quarantine Order.

While cruise travellers are generally required to be fully vaccinated, there are exceptions. As such, the Order provides an exemption from the prohibition on entry for unvaccinated, foreign national cruise ship passengers who enter Canada onboard a cruise ship and remain aboard the cruise ship for the duration of their time in Canadian waters. This permits foreign nationals to travel through Canadian waters but does not allow them to disembark.

The Order integrates changes to reflect that foreign nationals may enter without a valid COVID-19 pre-arrival test if they are exempt from the pre-arrival testing requirements set out in the Quarantine Order.

There is also a technical amendment made to the Order to clarify the context under which unvaccinated persons seeking to enter Canada to become accredited by Global Affairs Canada for the purpose of taking up a post or of being recognized as a member of such a person’s household, and their immediate families, are permitted entry. Their unvaccinated immediate family members seeking to enter Canada for an optional or discretionary purpose will continue to be prohibited from entering Canada. The added precision does not alter current practice.

The new Order will be in effect until May 31, 2022, 23:59:59 Eastern daylight time.

Penalties

Failure to comply with this Order and other related measures under the Quarantine Act is an offence under the Act. The maximum penalties are a fine of up to $1,000,000 or imprisonment for three years, or both. Non-compliance is also subject to fines under the federal Contraventions Act.

Consultation

The Government of Canada has engaged provinces and territories to coordinate efforts and implementation plans. In addition, given linkages to departmental mandates and other statutory instruments, there has been consultation across multiple government departments and agencies, including the Canada Border Services Agency; Indigenous Services Canada; Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada; Transport Canada; Public Safety Canada; Health Canada; Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada; Employment and Social Development Canada; Fisheries and Oceans Canada; the Canadian Armed Forces; Canadian Heritage; and Global Affairs Canada. The Public Health Agency of Canada and Transport Canada have also engaged extensively with provinces and territories and industry stakeholders on the cruise season restart including a two-part tabletop exercise that engaged industry, port authorities, local and provincial public health and implicated federal departments and agencies. Additional regional exercises were coordinated by Transport Canada during the month of March.

Contact

Kimby Barton
Public Health Agency of Canada
Telephone: 613‑960‑6637
Email: kimby.barton@phac-aspc.gc.ca

PUBLIC HEALTH AGENCY OF CANADA

QUARANTINE ACT

Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to COVID-19 in Canada Order (Quarantine, Isolation and Other Obligations)

P.C. 2022-321 March 31, 2022

Whereas the Governor in Council is of the opinion, based on the declaration of a pandemic by the World Health Organization, that there is an outbreak of a communicable disease, namely coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), in the majority of foreign countries;

Whereas the Governor in Council is of the opinion that the introduction or spread of COVID-19 would pose an imminent and severe risk to public health in Canada;

Whereas the Governor in Council is of the opinion that the entry of persons into Canada who have recently been in a foreign country may introduce or contribute to the spread in Canada of COVID-19 or of new variants of the virus causing COVID-19 that pose risks that differ from those posed by other variants but that are equivalent or more serious;

And whereas the Governor in Council is of the opinion that no reasonable alternatives to prevent the introduction or spread of COVID-19 are available;

Therefore, Her Excellency the Governor General in Council, on the recommendation of the Minister of Health, pursuant to section 58 of the Quarantine Act footnote a, makes the annexed Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to COVID-19 in Canada Order (Quarantine, Isolation and Other Obligations).

TABLE OF PROVISIONS

Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to COVID-19 in Canada Order (Quarantine, Isolation and Other Obligations)

PART 1

General

1.1 Definitions

1.2 Non-application

1.3 Exempted persons — conditions or requirements

PART 2

COVID-19 Tests

2.1 Entering by aircraft — Pre-boarding test

2.2 Entering by land — pre-arrival test

2.21 Entering by water — pre-arrival test

2.22 Alternative testing protocol — pre-arrival

2.3 Tests in Canada

2.4 Alternative testing protocol — on entry

2.5 Evidence of COVID-19 test — retention

PART 3

Suitable Quarantine Plan and Other Measures

3.1 Suitable quarantine plan

3.2 Suitable quarantine plan — requirement

3.3 Information — countries

3.4 Mask

PART 4

Quarantine of Asymptomatic Persons

4.1 Requirements — quarantine

4.2 Additional requirements

4.3 Unable to quarantine

4.4 Unable to quarantine — additional requirements

4.5 Exempted persons — quarantine

4.6 Exempted persons — medical reason

4.7 Exempted persons — compassionate grounds

4.8 Exempted persons — fully vaccinated persons

4.9 Exempted persons — less than 12 years of age

4.91 Contraindication

4.92 Signs and symptoms or positive test result

4.921 Signs and symptoms or positive test result — cruise ship

4.93 Exception — leaving Canada

PART 5

Isolation of Symptomatic Persons

5.1 Requirements — isolation

5.2 Additional requirements

5.3 Unable to isolate

5.4 Unable to isolate — additional requirements

5.5 Exempted persons — medical reason

5.6 Positive result — requirements

5.7 Exception — leaving Canada

PART 6

Powers and Obligations

6.1 Powers and obligations

PART 7

Amendments, Cessation of Effect, Repeal and Coming into Force

Amendments to Previous Order

7.1 Definition of previous Order

Amendments to this Order

7.3 Amendments to this Order

Cessation of Effect

7.5 May 31, 2022

Repeal

7.6

Coming into Force

7.7 March 31, 2022

SCHEDULE 1

SCHEDULE 2

Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to COVID-19 in Canada Order (Quarantine, Isolation and Other Obligations)

PART 1
General

Definitions

1.1 (1) The following definitions apply in this Order.

accredited person
means a foreign national who holds a passport that contains a valid diplomatic, consular, official or special representative acceptance issued by the Chief of Protocol for the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development. (personne accréditée)
authorized representative
has the same meaning as in section 2 of the Canada Shipping Act, 2001. (représentant autorisé)
Canadian Forces
means the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada. (Forces canadiennes)
Chief Public Health Officer
means the Chief Public Health Officer appointed under subsection 6(1) of the Public Health Agency of Canada Act. (administrateur en chef)
COVID-19 antigen test
means a COVID-19 screening or diagnostic immunoassay that
  • (a) detects the presence of a viral antigen indicating the presence of COVID-19;
  • (b) is authorized for sale or distribution in Canada or in the jurisdiction in which it was obtained;
  • (c) if the test is self-administered, is observed and the result is verified
    • (i) in person by an accredited laboratory or testing provider, or
    • (ii) in real time by remote audio-visual means by the accredited laboratory or testing provider who provided the test; and
  • (d) if the test is not self-administered, is performed by an accredited laboratory or testing provider. (Essai antigénique relatif à la COVID-19)
COVID-19 molecular test
means a COVID-19 screening or diagnostic test, including a test performed using the method of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP), that is
  • (a) if the test is self-administered, observed and the result is verified
    • (i) in person by an accredited laboratory or testing provider, or
    • (ii) in real time by remote audio-visual means by the accredited laboratory or testing provider who provided the test; or
  • (b) if the test is not self-administered, performed by an accredited laboratory or testing provider. (essai moléculaire relatif à la COVID-19)
crew member
means
  • (a) a crew member as defined in subsection 101.01(1) of the Canadian Aviation Regulations or a person who enters Canada only to become such a crew member;
  • (b) a member of a crew as defined in subsection 3(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations or a person who enters Canada only to become such a member of a crew; or
  • (c) a person who is re-entering Canada after having left to participate in mandatory training in relation to the operation of a conveyance and who is required by their employer to return to work as a crew member within the meaning of paragraph (a) or (b) on a conveyance within the 14-day period that begins on the day on which they return to Canada. (membre d’équipage)
cruise ship
has the same meaning as in subsection 1(1) of Interim Order No. 2 Respecting Vessel Restrictions and Vaccination Requirements Due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) as that Order read on January 15, 2022. (navire de croisière)
dependent child
has the same meaning as in section 2 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations. (enfant à charge)
evidence of a COVID-19 antigen test
means written evidence of a COVID-19 antigen test that contains the following information:
  • (a) the name and date of birth of the person whose specimen was collected for the test;
  • (b) the name and civic address of the accredited laboratory or the testing provider that performed or observed the test and verified the test result;
  • (c) the date the specimen was collected and the test method used; and
  • (d) the test result. (preuve d’essai antigénique relatif à la COVID-19)
evidence of a COVID-19 molecular test
means written evidence of a COVID-19 molecular test that contains the following information:
  • (a) the name and date of birth of the person whose specimen was collected for the test;
  • (b) the name and civic address of the accredited laboratory or the testing provider that performed or observed the test and verified the test result;
  • (c) the date the specimen was collected and the test method used; and
  • (d) the test result. (preuve d’essai moléculaire relatif à la COVID-19)
fully vaccinated person
means a person who completed, at least 14 days before the day on which they entered Canada, a COVID-19 vaccine dosage regimen if
  • (a) in the case of a vaccine dosage regimen that uses a COVID-19 vaccine that is authorized for sale in Canada,
    • (i) the vaccine has been administered to the person in accordance with its labelling, or
    • (ii) the Minister of Health determines, on the recommendation of the Chief Public Health Officer, that the regimen is suitable, having regard to the scientific evidence related to the efficacy of that regimen in preventing the introduction or spread of COVID-19 or any other factor relevant to preventing the introduction or spread of COVID-19; or
  • (b) in all other cases,
    • (i) the vaccines of the regimen are authorized for sale in Canada or in another jurisdiction, and
    • (ii) the Minister of Health determines, on the recommendation of the Chief Public Health Officer, that the vaccines and the regimen are suitable, having regard to the scientific evidence related to the efficacy of that regimen and the vaccines in preventing the introduction or spread of COVID-19 or any other factor relevant to preventing the introduction or spread of COVID-19. (personne entièrement vaccinée)
isolation
means the separation of persons who have reasonable grounds to suspect that they have COVID-19, who exhibit signs and symptoms of COVID-19 or who know that they have COVID-19, in such a manner as to prevent the spread of the disease. (isolement)
mask
means any mask, including a non-medical mask, that meets all of the following requirements:
  • (a) it is made of multiple layers of tightly woven material such as cotton or linen;
  • (b) it completely covers a person’s nose, mouth and chin without gaping;
  • (c) it can be secured to a person’s head with ties or ear loops. (masque)
permanent resident of Canada
has the meaning assigned by the definition permanent resident in subsection 2(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. (résident permanent du Canada)
protected person
has the same meaning as in subsection 95(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. (personne protégée)
quarantine
means the separation of persons in such a manner as to prevent the possible spread of disease. (quarantaine)
quarantine facility
means a place that is designated under section 7 of the Quarantine Act or that is deemed to be designated under subsection 8(2) of that Act, and that is chosen by the Chief Public Health Officer. (installation de quarantaine)
signs and symptoms of COVID-19
include a fever and a cough or a fever and difficulty breathing. (signes et symptômes de la COVID-19)
temporary resident
means a temporary resident within the meaning of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. (résident temporaire)
testing provider
means
  • (a) a person who may provide COVID-19 screening or diagnostic testing services under the laws of the jurisdiction where the service is provided; or
  • (b) an organization, such as a telehealth service provider or pharmacy, which may provide COVID-19 screening or diagnostic testing services under the laws of the jurisdiction where the service is provided and that employs or contracts with a person referred to in paragraph (a). (fournisseur de services d’essais)
vulnerable person
means a person who
  • (a) has an underlying medical condition that makes the person susceptible to complications related to COVID-19;
  • (b) has a compromised immune system from a medical condition or treatment; or
  • (c) is 65 years of age or older. (personne vulnérable)

Interpretation — fully vaccinated person

(2) For greater certainty, for the purposes of the definition fully vaccinated person, a COVID-19 vaccine that is authorized for sale in Canada does not include a similar vaccine sold by the same manufacturer that has been authorized for sale in another jurisdiction.

Non-application

1.2 This Order does not apply to a person who

Exempted persons — conditions or requirements

1.3 (1) The Chief Public Health Officer may take immediate public health measures to minimize the risk of introduction or spread of COVID-19 by imposing conditions or requirements on any person or member of a class of persons exempt under this Order from any requirement set out in it, including

Compliance — conditions or requirements

(2) A person who is exempted from any requirement under this Order and on whom the conditions or requirements are imposed under subsection (1) must comply with them in order to remain exempted from the requirement.

Factors to consider

(3) For the purposes of subsection (1), the Chief Public Health Officer must consider the following factors:

PART 2
COVID-19 Tests

Entering by aircraft — Pre-boarding test

2.1 (1) Every person who enters Canada by aircraft must, before boarding the aircraft for the flight to Canada, provide to the aircraft operator evidence of a COVID-19 molecular test or evidence of a COVID-19 antigen test indicating that they received

Exempted persons

(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to

Entering by land — pre-arrival test

2.2 (1) Every person must, when entering Canada by land,

Exempted persons

(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to

Entering by water — pre-arrival test

2.21 (1) Every person must, before and when entering Canada by water,

Exempted persons

(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to

Alternative testing protocol — pre-arrival

2.22 A person or any member of a class of persons who is required to provide or have in their possession evidence under paragraph 2.1(1)(a) or (b) or subparagraph 2.2(1)(a)(i) or (ii) or 2.21(1)(a)(i) or (ii) and who is designated by the Chief Public Health Officer must, before or when entering Canada, if the person enters by land or water, or before boarding the aircraft for the flight to Canada, if the person enters by air, and in accordance with the instructions of the Chief Public Health Officer,

Tests in Canada

2.3 (1) Subject to subsections (1.1) and (3) to (5), every person who enters Canada must, in accordance with the instructions of a quarantine officer or the Minister of Health, undergo a COVID-19 molecular test

Chief Public Health Officer — exempted persons

(1.1) Subject to subsections (3) and (4), the Chief Public Health Officer may, having regard to the factors set out in subsection 1.3(3), exempt from the requirements set out in paragraph (1)(a) or (b), or both, any person referred to in subsection (1) or any member of a class of those persons, other than the following persons:

COVID-19 molecular test — on request

(1.2) On the request, made in a randomized manner, of the Chief Public Health Officer, a person referred to in subsection (1.1) or a member of a class of those persons must, during the 14-day period that begins on the day on which the person enters Canada, undergo a COVID-19 molecular test in accordance with the instructions of a quarantine officer or the Minister of Health.

Expense

(2) For greater certainty, the person who must undergo the COVID-19 molecular tests must do so at their expense or at the expense of another person on behalf of that person unless the COVID-19 molecular tests are provided or paid for by Her Majesty in right of Canada or an agent of Her Majesty in right of Canada or by Her Majesty in right of a province.

Extraordinary circumstances

(3) A quarantine officer may, in extraordinary circumstances, release any person from the requirement to undergo, when or after entering Canada, the COVID-19 molecular test, in which case the person must follow the instructions of the quarantine officer.

Exempted persons — subsections (1) and (1.2)

(4) Subsections (1) and (1.2) do not apply to

Exempted persons — paragraph (1)(b)

(5) Paragraph (1)(b) does not apply to

Alternative testing protocol — on entry

2.4 (1) The persons referred to in subsection (2) who enter Canada must, subject to subsection (3) and in accordance with the instructions of a quarantine officer, undergo a COVID-19 molecular test in accordance with an alternative testing protocol that screens or diagnoses COVID-19 for the purpose of minimizing the risk of introduction or spread of COVID-19 and that takes into account the following factors:

Persons subject to alternative testing protocol

(2) The persons undergoing a test in accordance with an alternative testing protocol under subsection (1) are

Extraordinary circumstances

(3) A quarantine officer may, in extraordinary circumstances, release any person from the requirement to undergo a test in accordance with the alternative testing protocol, in which case the person must follow the instructions of the quarantine officer.

Exempted persons — positive result

(4) This section does not apply to a person who receives a positive result for any type of COVID-19 test.

Evidence of COVID-19 test — retention

2.5 (1) Every person who enters Canada must

Designation

(2) The Chief Public Health Officer may designate any person as a public health official for the purposes of paragraph (1)(c).

PART 3
Suitable Quarantine Plan and Other Measures

Suitable quarantine plan

3.1 (1) A suitable quarantine plan must meet the following requirements:

Place of quarantine — conditions

(2) The conditions for the place of quarantine are the following:

Suitable quarantine plan — requirement

3.2 (1) Subject to subsection (2), every person who enters Canada must provide to the Minister of Health, screening officer or quarantine officer a suitable quarantine plan that meets the requirements set out in subsection 3.1(1).

Exception — contact information

(2) Instead of providing a suitable quarantine plan, a person referred to in Table 1 of Schedule 2 must provide to the Minister of Health, screening officer or quarantine officer their contact information for the 14-day period that begins on the day on which they enter Canada.

Timing

(3) The person who provides their suitable quarantine plan or their contact information must do so,

Electronic means

(4) A person who enters Canada must provide their suitable quarantine plan or their contact information by electronic means specified by the Minister of Health, unless they are a member of a class of persons who, as determined by the Minister of Health, are unable to provide their plan by those electronic means for a reason such as a disability, inadequate infrastructure, a service disruption or a natural disaster, in which case the plan must be provided in the form and manner and at the time specified by the Minister of Health.

Persons in transit

(5) Subsections (1) and (2) do not apply to a person who plans to arrive at a Canadian airport on board an aircraft in order to transit to another country and to remain in a sterile transit area, as defined in section 2 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, until they leave Canada.

Information — countries

3.3 (1) Every person who enters Canada must disclose to the Minister of Health, screening officer or quarantine officer the countries that they were in during the 14-day period before the day on which they enter Canada.

Information and evidence of vaccination

(2) Every person who enters Canada must

Extraordinary circumstances

(3) A quarantine officer may, in extraordinary circumstances, release any person from the requirements referred to in subsection (2), in which case the person must follow the instructions of the quarantine officer.

Elements — evidence of vaccination

(4) Subject to subsection (5), the evidence of COVID-19 vaccination means evidence issued by a non-governmental entity that is authorized to issue the evidence of COVID-19 vaccination in the jurisdiction in which the vaccine was administered, by a government or by an entity authorized by a government, and must contain the following information:

Evidence of vaccination — translation

(5) The evidence of COVID-19 vaccination must be in English or French and any translation into English or French must be a certified translation.

Timing — countries

(6) A person who is required to provide the information referred to in subsection (1) must do so,

Timing — COVID-19 vaccination

(7) A person who is required to provide the information referred to in paragraph (2)(a) or the evidence of COVID-19 vaccination referred to in paragraph (2)(b) must do so,

Electronic means

(8) A person who enters Canada must provide the information referred in subsection (1) and paragraph (2)(a) and the evidence of COVID-19 vaccination referred to in paragraph (2)(b) that they are required to provide by electronic means specified by the Minister of Health, unless they are a member of a class of persons who, as determined by the Minister of Health, are unable to provide their information by those electronic means for a reason such as a disability, inadequate infrastructure, a service disruption or a natural disaster, in which case the information must be provided in the form and manner and at the time specified by the Minister of Health.

Evidence of vaccination — retention

(9) Every person who enters Canada and who is required to provide evidence of COVID-19 vaccination must, during the period referred to in paragraph 2.5(1)(a),

Answers, information and records

(10) Every person who enters Canada must, for the purposes of the administration of this Order, before entering Canada and during the period referred to in 2.5(1)(a),

Designation

(11) The Chief Public Health Officer may designate any person as a public health official.

Mask

3.4 (1) Every person who enters Canada and who is required to quarantine or isolate themselves must, during the period referred to in 2.5(1)(a), wear a mask that a screening officer or quarantine officer considers suitable to minimize the risk of introduction or spread of COVID-19,

Persons not subject to quarantine

(2) Every person who enters Canada and who, under section 4.5, subsection 4.7(1) or sections 4.8, 4.9 or 4.91, is not required to enter or remain in quarantine must, during the 14-day period that begins on the day on which they enter Canada,

Exempted persons

(3) This section does not apply to a person who

PART 4
Quarantine of Asymptomatic Persons

Requirements — quarantine

4.1 Every person who enters Canada and who does not exhibit signs and symptoms of COVID-19 must quarantine themselves without delay in accordance with the instructions provided by a screening officer or quarantine officer, and remain in quarantine until the expiry of the 14-day period that begins on the day on which the person enters Canada, in a place

Additional requirements

4.2 A person who is required to quarantine under this Order must

Unable to quarantine

4.3 (1) A person who is required to quarantine under this Order is considered unable to quarantine themselves if

Quarantine facility or other suitable place

(2) A person who, at the time of entry into Canada or at any other time during the 14-day period referred to in section 4.1 or subsection 4.92(3) or paragraph 4.921(2)(e), is considered unable to quarantine themselves must

Change of place

(3) A person may, with the authorization of a quarantine officer, leave a quarantine facility before the expiry of the 14-day period that begins on the day on which the person enters Canada or the period referred to in subsection 4.92(3) or paragraph 4.921(2)(e), in order to quarantine themselves in a place that meets the conditions set out in section 4.1 and must, if applicable, meet the requirements set out in section 4.2.

Choice of quarantine facility

(4) In choosing a quarantine facility for the purposes of subsection (2), the Chief Public Health Officer must consider the following factors:

Unable to quarantine — additional requirements

4.4 A person referred to in subsection 4.3(2) or (3) must,

Exempted persons — quarantine

4.5 Sections 4.1 to 4.4 do not apply to a person referred to in Table 1 of Schedule 2 if

Exempted persons — medical reason

4.6 (1) Sections 4.1 to 4.4 do not apply to a person

Accompanying person

(2) If the person exempted from the quarantine requirements under subsection (1) is a dependent child or requires assistance in accessing medical services or treatments, the exception set out in that subsection extends to one other person who accompanies the dependent child or the person requiring assistance.

Other cases

(3) The requirements set out in sections 4.1 to 4.4 do not apply to a person if

Exempted persons — compassionate grounds

4.7 (1) Subject to subsection (3), sections 4.1, 4.3 and 4.4 do not apply to a person if the Minister of Health

Conditions

(2) Subsection (1) applies while the person engages in one of the activities referred to in paragraph (1)(a) and if the person complies with all conditions imposed on them by the Minister of Health to minimize the risk of introduction or spread of COVID-19.

Exempted persons

(3) Subsection (1) does not apply to a person who

Orders made under Quarantine Act

(4) For the purposes of any order made under section 58 of the Quarantine Act, the non-application of sections 4.1, 4.3 and 4.4 under this section is a limited release from the requirement to quarantine on compassionate grounds.

Exempted persons — fully vaccinated persons

4.8 Sections 4.1 to 4.4 do not apply to a fully vaccinated person who enters Canada if

Exempted persons — less than 12 years of age

4.9 Sections 4.1 to 4.4 do not apply to a person who is not a fully vaccinated person and is less than 12 years of age if

Contraindication

4.91 (1) For the purposes of this section, a contraindication to a COVID-19 vaccine dosage regimen is a medical reason that prevents a person in a class of persons from completing a COVID-19 vaccine dosage regimen according to

Exempted persons — persons with contraindications

(2) Sections 4.1 to 4.4 do not apply to a person 12 years of age or older and who is not a fully vaccinated person if

Evidence — translation

(3) The evidence referred to in paragraph (2)(a) must be in English or French and any translation into English or French must be a certified translation.

Evidence — retention

(4) Every person who enters Canada and who is required to have in their possession the evidence referred to in paragraph (2)(a) must, during the applicable period referred to in paragraph 2.5(1)(a),

Signs and symptoms or positive test result

4.92 (1) Every person, other than a person referred to in section 4.9 or 4.921, who develops signs and symptoms of COVID-19 or receives a positive result for a COVID-19 molecular test referred to in subsection 2.3(1) or (1.2) or 2.4(1) that they are required to undergo, before the expiry of the 14-day period that begins on the day on which the person enters Canada, must

Persons less than 12 years of age

(2) If the person referred to in section 4.9 develops signs and symptoms of COVID-19 or receives a positive result for a COVID-19 molecular test referred to in subsection 2.3(1) or (1.2) or 2.4(1) that they are required to undergo before the expiry of the 14-day period that begins on the day on which the person enters Canada,

Exposure to a person

(3) Every person who enters Canada, other than a person referred to in subsection 4.921(2), after travelling with a person who exhibits signs and symptoms of COVID-19 or receives a positive result for any type of COVID-19 test, before the expiry of the 14-day period that begins on the day on which the person enters Canada, must quarantine themselves in a place that meets the conditions set out in section 4.1 and must meet the requirements set out in Part 4 during the 14-day period that begins on the day on which the person was most recently exposed to the other person.

Signs and symptoms or positive test result — cruise ship

4.921 (1) Every person who enters Canada on board a cruise ship and who disembarks the cruise ship after they develop signs and symptoms of COVID-19 or receive a positive result for a COVID-19 molecular test or a COVID-19 antigen test before the expiry of the 14-day period that begins on the day on which the person enters Canada must isolate themselves in accordance with the requirements set out in Part 5.

Exposure to a person

(2) Every person who enters Canada on board a cruise ship after travelling with a person who exhibits signs and symptoms of COVID-19 or receives a positive result for any type of COVID-19 test before the expiry of the 14-day period that begins on the day on which that person enters Canada must, if they disembark from the cruise ship,

Suitable quarantine plan

(2.1) A quarantine plan for a person referred to in subsection (2) is suitable if, prior to the disembarkation of that person, the authorized representative of the cruise ship

Requirements — authorized representative

(2.2) An authorized representative of a cruise ship must

Exception — leaving Canada

4.93 A person to whom section 4.1 or 4.3 or subsection 4.92(3) or 4.921(2) applies may leave Canada before the expiry of the 14-day period set out in those provisions only if they quarantine themselves until they depart from Canada.

PART 5
Isolation of Symptomatic Persons

Requirements — isolation

5.1 (1) Every person who enters Canada, other than a person who enters Canada on board a cruise ship, and who has reasonable grounds to suspect they have COVID-19, exhibits signs and symptoms of COVID-19, knows that they have COVID-19 or has received a positive result for any type of COVID-19 test that was performed on a specimen collected less than 10 days before the day on which they enter Canada or on the day on which they enter Canada must

Cruise ship

(1.1) A person referred to in subsection 4.921(1) or a person who enters Canada on board a cruise ship and who has reasonable grounds to suspect they have COVID-19, exhibits signs and symptoms of COVID-19, knows that they have COVID-19 or has received a positive result for any type of COVID-19 test that was performed on a specimen collected less than 10 days before the day on which they enter Canada or on the day on which they enter Canada and who disembarks in Canada from the cruise ship must

Suitable isolation plan

(1.2) An isolation plan for a person referred to in subsection (1.1) is suitable if, prior to the disembarkation of that person, the authorized representative of the cruise ship

Requirements — authorized representative

(1.3) An authorized representative of a cruise ship must

Place of isolation — conditions

(2) The applicable conditions for the place of isolation are the following:

Additional requirements

5.2 A person who is required to isolate under this Order must

Unable to isolate

5.3 (1) A person referred to in subsection 4.92(1) or (2) or 5.1(1) or (1.1) is considered unable to isolate themselves if

Quarantine facility or other suitable place

(2) A person who, at the time of entry into Canada or at any other time during the applicable isolation period referred to in subsection 4.92(1) or (2) or 5.1(1) or subparagraph 5.1(1.1)(b)(ii), is considered unable to isolate themselves must

Change of place

(3) A person may, with the authorization of a quarantine officer, leave a quarantine facility or any place of isolation referred to in subparagraph (2)(b)(i) before the expiry of the applicable isolation period in order to isolate themselves in a place that meets the conditions set out in subsection 5.1(2), and must, if applicable, meet the requirements set out in section 5.2.

Choice of quarantine facility

(4) In choosing a quarantine facility for the purposes of subsection (2), the Chief Public Health Officer must consider the factors set out in subsection 4.3(4), with any necessary modifications.

Unable to isolate — additional requirements

5.4 The person referred to in subsection 5.3(2) or (3) must

Exempted persons — medical reason

5.5 (1) Sections 5.1 to 5.4 do not apply to a person who meets the requirements set out in subsection (3)

Accompanying person

(2) If the person to whom isolation requirements do not apply under subsection (1) is a dependent child, the exception in that subsection extends to one other person who accompanies the dependent child.

Requirements

(3) For the purposes of subsection (1) and (2), the person must

Other cases

(4) The requirements set out in sections 5.1 to 5.4 do not apply to a person if

Positive result — requirements

5.6 If a person receives a positive result for a COVID-19 molecular test referred to in subsection 2.3(1) or (1.2) or 2.4(1) that they are required to undergo while they isolate themselves for a reason other than having received a positive result for any type of COVID-19 test, the associated requirements continue to apply and the isolation period in progress is replaced by a new 10-day isolation period that begins on

Exception — leaving Canada

5.7 A person who must isolate themselves in accordance with this Order cannot leave Canada before the expiry of the applicable isolation period unless the person

PART 6
Powers and Obligations

Powers and obligations

6.1 For greater certainty,

PART 7
Amendments, Cessation of Effect, Repeal and Coming into Force

Amendments to Previous Order

Definition of previous Order

7.1 In section 7.2, previous Order means the Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to COVID-19 in Canada Order (Quarantine, Isolation and Other Obligations), P.C. 2022-178, February 26, 2022.

7.2 Section 7.1 of the previous Order is replaced by the following:

April 1, 2022

7.1 This Order ceases to have effect at 00:00:59 Eastern Daylight Time on April 1, 2022.

Amendments to this Order

7.3 Sections 1.1 to 6.1 of this Order are replaced by the following:

PART 1

General

Definitions

1.1 (1) The following definitions apply in this Order.

accredited person
means a foreign national who holds a passport that contains a valid diplomatic, consular, official or special representative acceptance issued by the Chief of Protocol for the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development. (personne accréditée)
authorized representative
has the same meaning as in section 2 of the Canada Shipping Act, 2001. (représentant autorisé)
Canadian Forces
means the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada. (Forces canadiennes)
Chief Public Health Officer
means the Chief Public Health Officer appointed under subsection 6(1) of the Public Health Agency of Canada Act. (administrateur en chef)
COVID-19 antigen test
means a COVID-19 screening or diagnostic immunoassay that
  • (a) detects the presence of a viral antigen indicating the presence of COVID-19;
  • (b) is authorized for sale or distribution in Canada or in the jurisdiction in which it was obtained;
  • (c) if the test is self-administered, is observed and the result is verified
    • (i) in person by an accredited laboratory or testing provider, or
    • (ii) in real time by remote audio-visual means by the accredited laboratory or testing provider who provided the test; and
  • (d) if the test is not self-administered, is performed by an accredited laboratory or testing provider. (Essai antigénique relatif à la COVID-19)
COVID-19 molecular test
means a COVID-19 screening or diagnostic test, including a test performed using the method of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP), that is
  • (a) if the test is self-administered, observed and the result is verified
    • (i) in person by an accredited laboratory or testing provider, or
    • (ii) in real time by remote audio-visual means by the accredited laboratory or testing provider who provided the test; or
  • (b) if the test is not self-administered, performed by an accredited laboratory or testing provider. (essai moléculaire relatif à la COVID-19)
crew member
means
  • (a) a crew member as defined in subsection 101.01(1) of the Canadian Aviation Regulations or a person who enters Canada only to become such a crew member;
  • (b) a member of a crew as defined in subsection 3(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations or a person who enters Canada only to become such a member of a crew; or
  • (c) a person who is re-entering Canada after having left to participate in mandatory training in relation to the operation of a conveyance and who is required by their employer to return to work as a crew member within the meaning of paragraph (a) or (b) on a conveyance within the 14-day period that begins on the day on which they return to Canada. (membre d’équipage)
cruise ship
has the same meaning as in subsection 1(1) of Interim Order No. 2 Respecting Vessel Restrictions and Vaccination Requirements Due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) as that Order read on January 15, 2022. (navire de croisière)
dependent child
has the same meaning as in section 2 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations. (enfant à charge)
evidence of a COVID-19 antigen test
means written evidence of a COVID-19 antigen test that contains the following information:
  • (a) the name and date of birth of the person whose specimen was collected for the test;
  • (b) the name and civic address of the accredited laboratory or the testing provider that performed or observed the test and verified the test result;
  • (c) the date the specimen was collected and the test method used; and
  • (d) the test result. (preuve d’essai antigénique relatif à la COVID-19)
evidence of a COVID-19 molecular test
means written evidence of a COVID-19 molecular test that contains the following information:
  • (a) the name and date of birth of the person whose specimen was collected for the test;
  • (b) the name and civic address of the accredited laboratory or the testing provider that performed or observed the test and verified the test result;
  • (c) the date the specimen was collected and the test method used; and
  • (d) the test result. (preuve d’essai moléculaire relatif à la COVID-19)
fully vaccinated person
means a person who completed, at least 14 days before the day on which they entered Canada, a COVID-19 vaccine dosage regimen if
  • (a) in the case of a vaccine dosage regimen that uses a COVID-19 vaccine that is authorized for sale in Canada,
    • (i) the vaccine has been administered to the person in accordance with its labelling, or
    • (ii) the Minister of Health determines, on the recommendation of the Chief Public Health Officer, that the regimen is suitable, having regard to the scientific evidence related to the efficacy of that regimen in preventing the introduction or spread of COVID-19 or any other factor relevant to preventing the introduction or spread of COVID-19; or
  • (b) in all other cases,
    • (i) the vaccines of the regimen are authorized for sale in Canada or in another jurisdiction, and
    • (ii) the Minister of Health determines, on the recommendation of the Chief Public Health Officer, that the vaccines and the regimen are suitable, having regard to the scientific evidence related to the efficacy of that regimen and the vaccines in preventing the introduction or spread of COVID-19 or any other factor relevant to preventing the introduction or spread of COVID-19. (personne entièrement vaccinée)
isolation
means the separation of persons who have reasonable grounds to suspect that they have COVID-19, who exhibit signs and symptoms of COVID-19 or who know that they have COVID-19, in such a manner as to prevent the spread of the disease. (isolement)
mask
means any mask, including a non-medical mask, that meets all of the following requirements:
  • (a) it is made of multiple layers of tightly woven material such as cotton or linen;
  • (b) it completely covers a person’s nose, mouth and chin without gaping;
  • (c) it can be secured to a person’s head with ties or ear loops. (masque)
permanent resident of Canada
has the meaning assigned by the definition permanent resident in subsection 2(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. (résident permanent du Canada)
protected person
has the same meaning as in subsection 95(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. (personne protégée)
quarantine
means the separation of persons in such a manner as to prevent the possible spread of disease. (quarantaine)
quarantine facility
means a place that is designated under section 7 of the Quarantine Act or that is deemed to be designated under subsection 8(2) of that Act, and that is chosen by the Chief Public Health Officer. (installation de quarantaine)
signs and symptoms of COVID-19
include a fever and a cough or a fever and difficulty breathing. (signes et symptômes de la COVID-19)
temporary resident
means a temporary resident within the meaning of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. (résident temporaire)
testing provider
means
  • (a) a person who may provide COVID-19 screening or diagnostic testing services under the laws of the jurisdiction where the service is provided; or
  • (b) an organization, such as a telehealth service provider or pharmacy, which may provide COVID-19 screening or diagnostic testing services under the laws of the jurisdiction where the service is provided and that employs or contracts with a person referred to in paragraph (a). (fournisseur de services d’essais)
vulnerable person
means a person who
  • (a) has an underlying medical condition that makes the person susceptible to complications related to COVID-19;
  • (b) has a compromised immune system from a medical condition or treatment; or
  • (c) is 65 years of age or older. (personne vulnérable)

Interpretation — fully vaccinated person

(2) For greater certainty, for the purposes of the definition fully vaccinated person, a COVID-19 vaccine that is authorized for sale in Canada does not include a similar vaccine sold by the same manufacturer that has been authorized for sale in another jurisdiction.

Non-application

1.2 This Order does not apply to a person who

Exempted persons — conditions or requirements

1.3 (1) The Chief Public Health Officer may take immediate public health measures to minimize the risk of introduction or spread of COVID-19 by imposing conditions or requirements on any person or member of a class of persons exempt under this Order from any requirement set out in it, including

Compliance — conditions or requirements

(2) A person who is exempted from any requirement under this Order and on whom the conditions or requirements are imposed under subsection (1) must comply with them in order to remain exempted from the requirement.

Factors to consider

(3) For the purposes of subsection (1), the Chief Public Health Officer must consider the following factors:

PART 2
COVID-19 Tests

Entering by aircraft — Pre-boarding test

2.1 (1) Every person who enters Canada by aircraft must, before boarding the aircraft for the flight to Canada, provide to the aircraft operator evidence of a COVID-19 molecular test or evidence of a COVID-19 antigen test indicating that they received

Exempted persons

(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to

Entering by land — pre-arrival test

2.2 (1) Every person must, when entering Canada by land,

Exempted persons

(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to

Entering by water — pre-arrival test

2.21 (1) Every person must, before and when entering Canada by water,

Exempted persons

(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to

Alternative testing protocol — pre-arrival

2.22 A person or any member of a class of persons who is required to provide or have in their possession evidence under paragraph 2.1(1)(a) or (b) or subparagraph 2.2(1)(a)(i) or (ii) or 2.21(1)(a)(i) or (ii) and who is designated by the Chief Public Health Officer must, before or when entering Canada, if the person enters by land or water, or before boarding the aircraft for the flight to Canada, if the person enters by air, and in accordance with the instructions of the Chief Public Health Officer,

Tests in Canada

2.3 (1) Subject to subsections (1.1) and (3) to (5), every person who enters Canada must, in accordance with the instructions of a quarantine officer or the Minister of Health, undergo a COVID-19 molecular test

Chief Public Health Officer — exempted persons

(1.1) Subject to subsections (3) and (4), the Chief Public Health Officer may, having regard to the factors set out in subsection 1.3(3), exempt from the requirements set out in paragraph (1)(a) or (b), or both, any person referred to in subsection (1) or any member of a class of those persons, other than the following persons:

COVID-19 molecular test — on request

(1.2) On the request, made in a randomized manner, of the Chief Public Health Officer, a person referred to in subsection (1.1) or a member of a class of those persons must, during the 14-day period that begins on the day on which the person enters Canada, undergo a COVID-19 molecular test in accordance with the instructions of a quarantine officer or the Minister of Health.

Expense

(2) For greater certainty, the person who must undergo the COVID-19 molecular tests must do so at their expense or at the expense of another person on behalf of that person unless the COVID-19 molecular tests are provided or paid for by Her Majesty in right of Canada or an agent of Her Majesty in right of Canada or by Her Majesty in right of a province.

Extraordinary circumstances

(3) A quarantine officer may, in extraordinary circumstances, release any person from the requirement to undergo, when or after entering Canada, the COVID-19 molecular test, in which case the person must follow the instructions of the quarantine officer.

Exempted persons — subsections (1) and (1.2)

(4) Subsections (1) and (1.2) do not apply to

Exempted persons — paragraph (1)(b)

(5) Paragraph (1)(b) does not apply to

Alternative testing protocol — on entry

2.4 (1) The persons referred to in subsection (2) who enter Canada must, subject to subsection (3) and in accordance with the instructions of a quarantine officer, undergo a COVID-19 molecular test in accordance with an alternative testing protocol that screens or diagnoses COVID-19 for the purpose of minimizing the risk of introduction or spread of COVID-19 and that takes into account the following factors:

Persons subject to alternative testing protocol

(2) The persons undergoing a test in accordance with an alternative testing protocol under subsection (1) are

Extraordinary circumstances

(3) A quarantine officer may, in extraordinary circumstances, release any person from the requirement to undergo a test in accordance with the alternative testing protocol, in which case the person must follow the instructions of the quarantine officer.

Exempted persons — positive result

(4) This section does not apply to a person who receives a positive result for any type of COVID-19 test.

Evidence of COVID-19 test — retention

2.5 (1) Every person who enters Canada must

Designation

(2) The Chief Public Health Officer may designate any person as a public health official for the purposes of paragraph (1)(c).

PART 3
Suitable Quarantine Plan and Other Measures

Suitable quarantine plan

3.1 (1) A suitable quarantine plan must meet the following requirements:

Place of quarantine — conditions

(2) The conditions for the place of quarantine are the following:

Suitable quarantine plan — requirement

3.2 (1) Subject to subsection (2), every person who enters Canada must provide to the Minister of Health, screening officer or quarantine officer a suitable quarantine plan that meets the requirements set out in subsection 3.1(1).

Exception — contact information

(2) Instead of providing a suitable quarantine plan, the following persons must provide to the Minister of Health, screening officer or quarantine officer their contact information for the 14-day period that begins on the day on which they enter Canada

Timing

(3) The person who provides their suitable quarantine plan or their contact information must do so,

Electronic means

(4) A person who enters Canada must provide their suitable quarantine plan or their contact information by electronic means specified by the Minister of Health, unless they are a member of a class of persons who, as determined by the Minister of Health, are unable to provide their plan by those electronic means for a reason such as a disability, inadequate infrastructure, a service disruption or a natural disaster, in which case the plan must be provided in the form and manner and at the time specified by the Minister of Health.

Persons in transit

(5) Subsections (1) and (2) do not apply to a person who plans to arrive at a Canadian airport on board an aircraft in order to transit to another country and to remain in a sterile transit area, as defined in section 2 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, until they leave Canada.

Information — countries

3.3 (1) Every person who enters Canada must disclose to the Minister of Health, screening officer or quarantine officer the countries that they were in during the 14-day period before the day on which they enter Canada.

Information and evidence of vaccination

(2) Every person who enters Canada must

Extraordinary circumstances

(3) A quarantine officer may, in extraordinary circumstances, release any person from the requirements referred to in subsection (2), in which case the person must follow the instructions of the quarantine officer.

Elements — evidence of vaccination

(4) Subject to subsection (5), the evidence of COVID-19 vaccination means evidence issued by a non-governmental entity that is authorized to issue the evidence of COVID-19 vaccination in the jurisdiction in which the vaccine was administered, by a government or by an entity authorized by a government, and must contain the following information:

Evidence of vaccination — translation

(5) The evidence of COVID-19 vaccination must be in English or French and any translation into English or French must be a certified translation.

Timing — countries

(6) A person who is required to provide the information referred to in subsection (1) must do so,

Timing — COVID-19 vaccination

(7) A person who is required to provide the information referred to in paragraph (2)(a) or the evidence of COVID-19 vaccination referred to in paragraph (2)(b) must do so,

Electronic means

(8) A person who enters Canada must provide the information referred in subsection (1) and paragraph (2)(a) and the evidence of COVID-19 vaccination referred to in paragraph (2)(b) that they are required to provide by electronic means specified by the Minister of Health, unless they are a member of a class of persons who, as determined by the Minister of Health, are unable to provide their information by those electronic means for a reason such as a disability, inadequate infrastructure, a service disruption or a natural disaster, in which case the information must be provided in the form and manner and at the time specified by the Minister of Health.

Evidence of vaccination — retention

(9) Every person who enters Canada and who is required to provide evidence of COVID-19 vaccination must, during the period referred to in paragraph 2.5(1)(a),

Answers, information and records

(10) Every person who enters Canada must, for the purposes of the administration of this Order, before entering Canada and during the period referred to in 2.5(1)(a),

Designation

(11) The Chief Public Health Officer may designate any person as a public health official.

Mask

3.4 (1) Every person who enters Canada and who is required to quarantine or isolate themselves must, during the period referred to in 2.5(1)(a), wear a mask that a screening officer or quarantine officer considers suitable to minimize the risk of introduction or spread of COVID-19,

Persons not subject to quarantine

(2) Every person who enters Canada and who, under section 4.5, subsection 4.7(1) or section 4.9 or 4.91, is not required to enter or remain in quarantine must, during the 14-day period that begins on the day on which they enter Canada,

Exempted persons

(3) This section does not apply to a person who

PART 4
Quarantine of Asymptomatic Persons

Requirements — quarantine

4.1 Every person who enters Canada and who does not exhibit signs and symptoms of COVID-19 must quarantine themselves without delay in accordance with the instructions provided by a screening officer or quarantine officer, and remain in quarantine until the expiry of the 14-day period that begins on the day on which the person enters Canada, in a place

Additional requirements

4.2 A person who is required to quarantine under this Order must

Unable to quarantine

4.3 (1) A person who is required to quarantine under this Order is considered unable to quarantine themselves if

Quarantine facility or other suitable place

(2) A person who, at the time of entry into Canada or at any other time during the 14-day period referred to in section 4.1 or subsection 4.92(3) or paragraph 4.921(2)(e), is considered unable to quarantine themselves must

Change of place

(3) A person may, with the authorization of a quarantine officer, leave a quarantine facility before the expiry of the 14-day period that begins on the day on which the person enters Canada or the period referred to in subsection 4.92(3) or paragraph 4.921(2)(e), in order to quarantine themselves in a place that meets the conditions set out in section 4.1 and must, if applicable, meet the requirements set out in section 4.2.

Choice of quarantine facility

(4) In choosing a quarantine facility for the purposes of subsection (2), the Chief Public Health Officer must consider the following factors:

Unable to quarantine — additional requirements

4.4 A person referred to in subsection 4.3(2) or (3) must,

Exempted persons — quarantine

4.5 Sections 4.1 to 4.4 do not apply to a person referred to in Table 1 of Schedule 2 if

Exempted persons — medical reason

4.6 (1) Sections 4.1 to 4.4 do not apply to a person

Accompanying person

(2) If the person exempted from the quarantine requirements under subsection (1) is a dependent child or requires assistance in accessing medical services or treatments, the exception set out in that subsection extends to one other person who accompanies the dependent child or the person requiring assistance.

Other cases

(3) The requirements set out in sections 4.1 to 4.4 do not apply to a person if

Exempted persons — compassionate grounds

4.7 (1) Subject to subsection (3), sections 4.1, 4.3 and 4.4 do not apply to a person if the Minister of Health

Conditions

(2) Subsection (1) applies while the person engages in one of the activities referred to in paragraph (1)(a) and if the person complies with all conditions imposed on them by the Minister of Health to minimize the risk of introduction or spread of COVID-19.

Exempted persons

(3) Subsection (1) does not apply to a person who

Orders made under Quarantine Act

(4) For the purposes of any order made under section 58 of the Quarantine Act, the non-application of sections 4.1, 4.3 and 4.4 under this section is a limited release from the requirement to quarantine on compassionate grounds.

Exempted persons — fully vaccinated persons

4.8 Sections 4.1 to 4.4 do not apply to a fully vaccinated person who enters Canada if

Exempted persons — less than 12 years of age

4.9 Sections 4.1 to 4.4 do not apply to a person who is not a fully vaccinated person and is less than 12 years of age if

Contraindication

4.91 (1) For the purposes of this section, a contraindication to a COVID-19 vaccine dosage regimen is a medical reason that prevents a person in a class of persons from completing a COVID-19 vaccine dosage regimen according to

Exempted persons — persons with contraindications

(2) Sections 4.1 to 4.4 do not apply to a person 12 years of age or older and who is not a fully vaccinated person if

Evidence — translation

(3) The evidence referred to in paragraph (2)(a) must be in English or French and any translation into English or French must be a certified translation.

Evidence — retention

(4) Every person who enters Canada and who is required to have in their possession the evidence referred to in paragraph (2)(a) must, during the applicable period referred to in paragraph 2.5(1)(a),

Signs and symptoms or positive test result

4.92 (1) Every person, other than a person referred to in section 4.8, 4.9 or 4.921, who develops signs and symptoms of COVID-19 or receives a positive result for a COVID-19 molecular test referred to in subsection 2.3(1) or (1.2) or 2.4(1) that they are required to undergo, before the expiry of the 14-day period that begins on the day on which the person enters Canada, must

Fully vaccinated person — section 4.8

(1.1) A person referred to in section 4.8 who develops signs and symptoms of COVID-19 or who receives a positive result for a COVID-19 molecular test referred to in subsection 2.3(1) or (1.2) or 2.4(1) that they are required to undergo, before the expiry of the 14-day period that begins on the day on which the person enters Canada, must

Persons less than 12 years of age

(2) If the person referred to in section 4.9 develops signs and symptoms of COVID-19 or receives a positive result for a COVID-19 molecular test referred to in subsection 2.3(1) or (1.2) or 2.4(1) that they are required to undergo, before the expiry of the 14-day period that begins on the day on which the person enters Canada,

Exposure to a person

(3) Every person, other than a person referred to in section 4.8 or subsection 4.921(2), who enters Canada after travelling with a person who exhibits signs and symptoms of COVID-19 or receives a positive result for any type of COVID-19 test, before the expiry of the 14-day period that begins on the day on which the person enters Canada, must quarantine themselves in a place that meets the conditions set out in section 4.1 and must meet the requirements set out in Part 4 during the 14-day period that begins on the day on which the person was most recently exposed to the other person.

Signs and symptoms or positive test result — cruise ship

4.921 (1) Every person who enters Canada on board a cruise ship and who disembarks the cruise ship after they develop signs and symptoms of COVID-19 or receive a positive result for a COVID-19 molecular test or a COVID-19 antigen test before the expiry of the 14-day period that begins on the day on which the person enters Canada must isolate themselves in accordance with the requirements set out in Part 5.

Exposure to a person

(2) Every person, other than a person referred to in section 4.8, who enters Canada on board a cruise ship after travelling with a person who exhibits signs and symptoms of COVID-19 or receives a positive result for any type of COVID-19 test before the expiry of the 14-day period that begins on the day on which that person enters Canada must, if they disembark from the cruise ship,

Suitable quarantine plan

(2.1) A quarantine plan for a person referred to in subsection (2) is suitable if, prior to the disembarkation of that person, the authorized representative of the cruise ship

Requirements — authorized representative

(2.2) An authorized representative of a cruise ship must

Exception — leaving Canada

4.93 A person to whom section 4.1 or 4.3 or subsection 4.92(3) or 4.921(2) applies may leave Canada before the expiry of the 14-day period set out in those provisions only if they quarantine themselves until they depart from Canada.

PART 5
Isolation of Symptomatic Persons

Requirements — isolation

5.1 (1) Every person who enters Canada, other than a person who enters Canada on board a cruise ship, and who has reasonable grounds to suspect they have COVID-19, exhibits signs and symptoms of COVID-19, knows that they have COVID-19 or has received a positive result for any type of COVID-19 test that was performed on a specimen collected less than 10 days before the day on which they enter Canada or on the day on which they enter Canada must

Cruise ship

(1.1) A person referred to in subsection 4.921(1) or a person who enters Canada on board a cruise ship and who has reasonable grounds to suspect they have COVID-19, exhibits signs and symptoms of COVID-19, knows that they have COVID-19 or has received a positive result for any type of COVID-19 test that was performed on a specimen collected less than 10 days before the day on which they enter Canada or on the day on which they enter Canada and who disembarks in Canada from the cruise ship must

Suitable isolation plan

(1.2) An isolation plan for a person referred to in subsection (1.1) is suitable if, prior to the disembarkation of that person, the authorized representative of the cruise ship

Requirements — authorized representative

(1.3) An authorized representative of a cruise ship must

Place of isolation — conditions

(2) The applicable conditions for the place of isolation are the following:

Additional requirements

5.2 A person who is required to isolate under this Order must

Unable to isolate

5.3 (1) A person referred to in subsection 4.92(1), (1.1) or (2) or 5.1(1) or (1.1) is considered unable to isolate themselves if

Quarantine facility or other suitable place

(2) A person who, at the time of entry into Canada or at any other time during the applicable isolation period referred to in subsection 4.92(1), (1.1) or (2) or 5.1(1) or subparagraph 5.1(1.1)(b)(ii), is considered unable to isolate themselves must

Change of place

(3) A person may, with the authorization of a quarantine officer, leave a quarantine facility or any place of isolation referred to in subparagraph (2)(b)(i) before the expiry of the applicable isolation period in order to isolate themselves in a place that meets the conditions set out in subsection 5.1(2), and must, if applicable, meet the requirements set out in section 5.2.

Choice of quarantine facility

(4) In choosing a quarantine facility for the purposes of subsection (2), the Chief Public Health Officer must consider the factors set out in subsection 4.3(4), with any necessary modifications.

Unable to isolate — additional requirements

5.4 The person referred to in subsection 5.3(2) or (3) must

Exempted persons — medical reason

5.5 (1) Sections 5.1 to 5.4 do not apply to a person who meets the requirements set out in subsection (3)

Accompanying person

(2) If the person to whom isolation requirements do not apply under subsection (1) is a dependent child, the exception in that subsection extends to one other person who accompanies the dependent child.

Requirements

(3) For the purposes of subsection (1) and (2), the person must

Other cases

(4) The requirements set out in sections 5.1 to 5.4 do not apply to a person if

Positive result — requirements

5.6 If a person receives a positive result for a COVID-19 molecular test referred to in subsection 2.3(1) or (1.2) or 2.4(1) that they are required to undergo while they isolate themselves for a reason other than having received a positive result for any type of COVID-19 test, the associated requirements continue to apply and the isolation period in progress is replaced by a new 10-day isolation period that begins on

Exception — leaving Canada

5.7 A person who must isolate themselves in accordance with this Order cannot leave Canada before the expiry of the applicable isolation period unless the person

PART 6
Powers and Obligations

Powers and obligations

6.1 For greater certainty,

7.4 Table 1 of Schedule 1 to this Order is amended by adding the following after item 23:
Item Persons
24 A person who is not a fully vaccinated person and is less than 12 years of age and who enters Canada with one of their parents, step-parents, guardians or tutors who is a person referred to in item 23
7.41 Table 2 of Schedule 1 to this Order is amended by adding the following after item 37:
Item Persons
38 A person who is not a fully vaccinated person and is less than 12 years of age and who enters Canada with one of their parents, step-parents, guardians or tutors who is a person referred to in item 37
7.42 Table 3 of Schedule 1 to this Order is amended by adding the following after item 26:
Item Persons
27 A person who is not a fully vaccinated person and is less than 12 years of age and who enters Canada with one of their parents, step-parents, guardians or tutors who is a person referred to in item 26

7.5 Schedule 2 to this Order is amended by replacing the references after the heading “SCHEDULE 2” with the following:

(Paragraphs 2.3(4)(a), and 3.2(2)(d) and section 4.5)

Cessation of Effect

May 31, 2022

7.6 This Order ceases to have effect at 23:59:59 Eastern Daylight Time on May 31, 2022.

Repeal

7.7 The Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to COVID-19 in Canada Order (Quarantine, Isolation and Other Obligations) footnote 2 is repealed.

Coming into Force

March 31, 2022

7.8 (1) Sections 7.1, 7.2 and 7.6 come into force at 23:59:58 Eastern Daylight Time on March 31, 2022.

April 1, 2022

(2) Sections 1.1 to 6.1 and 7.7 and Schedules 1 and 2 come into force at 00:01:00 Eastern Daylight Time on April 1, 2022.

April 25, 2022

(3) Sections 7.3 to 7.5 come into force at 00:01:00 Eastern Daylight Time on April 25, 2022.

SCHEDULE 1

(Paragraphs 2.1(2)(a), 2.2(2)(a) 2.21(2)(a) and 2.3(1.1)(b))

Exempted Persons — COVID-19 Test Before Entering Canada

TABLE 1

Entering by Aircraft
Item Persons
1 A person who is less than five years of age
2 A crew member, excluding an operator of a commercial motor vehicle for the transport of goods by land who is not a fully vaccinated person
3 A person or any member of a class of persons who complies with all conditions imposed on them by the Chief Public Health Officer to minimize the risk of introduction or spread of COVID-19 and if, as determined by the Chief Public Health Officer,
  • (a) there are compelling reasons, based on public interest, for their entry to provide an essential service; and
  • (b) the requirement referred to in subsection 2.1(1) of this Order would adversely affect the ability of the person or member of a class of persons to provide the essential service
4 A person who is permitted to work in Canada as a provider of emergency services under paragraph 186(t) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations and who enters Canada for the purpose of providing those services
5 An emergency service provider, including a firefighter, peace officer or paramedic, who returns to Canada after providing emergency services in a foreign country and who is required to provide their services within the 14-day period that begins on the day on which they enter Canada
6 An official of the Government of Canada or a foreign government, including a border services officer, immigration enforcement officer, law enforcement officer or correctional officer, who is escorting an individual entering or leaving Canada pursuant to a legal process such as an international transfer of an offender or deportation or extradition of a person
7 An official of the Government of Canada, the government of a province or a foreign government, including a border services officer, immigration enforcement officer, law enforcement officer or correctional officer, who enters Canada for the purposes of border, immigration or law enforcement, or national security activities, that support active investigations, ensure the continuity of enforcement operations or activities or enable the transfer of information or evidence pursuant to or in support of a legal process
8 A person or any member of a class of persons for whom the release from the requirement set out in subsection 2.1(1) of this Order is, as determined by the Minister of Health, in the national interest, if the person complies with all conditions imposed on them by the Minister of Health to minimize the risk of introduction or spread of COVID-19
9 A member of the Canadian Forces, who enters Canada for the purpose of performing their duties as a member of those forces
10 A member of an air crew of a visiting force, as defined in section 2 of the Visiting Forces Act, who enters Canada for the purpose of performing mission-essential duties as a member of that force
11 A person who returns to Canada after suffering hardship in a foreign country, as determined by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, if the person complies with all conditions imposed on them by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and developed in consultation with the Minister of Health to minimize the risk of introduction or spread of COVID-19
12 A Canadian citizen, permanent resident of Canada, temporary resident, protected person or person registered as an Indian under the Indian Act who resides in Canada and who received essential medical services or treatments in a foreign country, if the person has
  • (a) written evidence from a health care practitioner in Canada who is licensed to practise their profession in Canada, indicating that the medical services or treatments outside Canada are essential, unless the services or treatments are for primary or emergency medical services under an agreement with another jurisdiction; and
  • (b) written evidence from a health care practitioner in the foreign country who is licensed to practise their profession in the foreign country, indicating that the services or treatments were provided in that country
13 A person who, as determined by the Minister of Transport, will respond to, investigate or prevent significant disruptions to the effective continued operation of the national transportation system, transportation undertakings or transportation infrastructure, if the person complies with all conditions imposed on them by the Minister of Transport and developed in consultation with the Minister of Health to minimize the risk of introduction or spread of COVID-19
14 A person who, as determined by the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, will respond to, investigate or prevent events related to national security, if the person complies with all conditions imposed on them by the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness and developed in consultation with the Minister of Health to minimize the risk of introduction or spread of COVID-19
15 A person who enters Canada by aircraft and who is not required under the Aeronautics Act to provide the evidence referred to in subsection 2.1(1) of this Order
16 Any person who takes a medical evacuation flight for medical purposes, if the urgency of the medical situation does not permit a COVID-19 molecular test or COVID-19 antigen test to be administered to the person before boarding the aircraft for the flight to Canada
17 A Canadian citizen, permanent resident of Canada, temporary resident, protected person or person registered as an Indian under the Indian Act who resides in Canada, who has been denied entry into a foreign country and who must board a flight destined to Canada
18 A person who plans to arrive at a Canadian airport on board an aircraft in order to transit to another country and to remain in a sterile transit area, as defined in section 2 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, until they leave Canada
19 A person who enters Canada regularly to go to their normal place of employment or returns from their normal place of employment in another country and who, if they are not a fully vaccinated person, does not directly care for persons 65 years of age or older within the 14-day period that begins on the day on which the person enters Canada
20 A person who made a claim for refugee protection when entering Canada from the United States
21 An operator of a commercial motor vehicle who seeks to enter Canada for the purpose of delivering by land medically necessary supplies, equipment or devices
22 A person referred to in subsection 5(1) of the Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to COVID-19 in Canada Order (Prohibition of Entry into Canada)
23 A fully vaccinated person who provides the evidence of COVID-19 vaccination that they are required to provide under this Order by the means specified in this Order

TABLE 2

Entering by Land
Item Persons
1 A person who is less than five years of age
2 A crew member, excluding an operator of a commercial motor vehicle for the transport of goods by land who is not a fully vaccinated person
3 A person or any member of a class of persons who complies with all conditions imposed on them by the Chief Public Health Officer to minimize the risk of introduction or spread of COVID-19 and if, as determined by the Chief Public Health Officer,
  • (a) there are compelling reasons, based on public interest, for their entry to provide an essential service; and
  • (b) the requirements referred to in subsection 2.2(1) of this Order would adversely affect the ability of the person or member of a class of persons to provide the essential service
4 A person who is permitted to work in Canada as a provider of emergency services under paragraph 186(t) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations and who enters Canada for the purpose of providing those services
5 An emergency service provider, including a firefighter, peace officer or paramedic, who returns to Canada after providing emergency services in a foreign country and who is required to provide their services within the 14-day period that begins on the day on which they enter Canada
6 An official of the Government of Canada or a foreign government, including a border services officer, immigration enforcement officer, law enforcement officer or correctional officer, who is escorting an individual entering or leaving Canada pursuant to a legal process such as an international transfer of an offender or deportation or extradition of a person
7 An official of the Government of Canada, the government of a province or a foreign government, including a border services officer, immigration enforcement officer, law enforcement officer or correctional officer, who enters Canada for the purposes of border, immigration or law enforcement, or national security activities, that support active investigations, ensure the continuity of enforcement operations or activities or enable the transfer of information or evidence pursuant to or in support of a legal process
8 A person or any member of a class of persons for whom the release from the requirements set out in subsection 2.2(1) of this Order is, as determined by the Minister of Health, in the national interest, if the person complies with all conditions imposed on them by the Minister of Health to minimize the risk of introduction or spread of COVID-19
9 A member of the Canadian Forces, who enters Canada for the purpose of performing their duties as a member of those forces
10 A person who returns to Canada after suffering hardship in a foreign country, as determined by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, if the person complies with all conditions imposed on them by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and developed in consultation with the Minister of Health to minimize the risk of introduction or spread of COVID-19
11 A Canadian citizen, permanent resident of Canada, temporary resident, protected person or person registered as an Indian under the Indian Act who resides in Canada and who received essential medical services or treatments in a foreign country, if the person has
  • (a) written evidence from a health care practitioner in Canada who is licensed to practise their profession in Canada, indicating that the medical services or treatments outside Canada are essential, unless the services or treatments are for primary or emergency medical services under an agreement with another jurisdiction; and
  • (b) written evidence from a health care practitioner in the foreign country who is licensed to practise their profession in the foreign country, indicating that the services or treatments were provided in that country
12 A person in the trade or transportation sector who is important for the movement of goods or people, who enters Canada for the purpose of performing their duties as a member of that sector, excluding an operator of a commercial motor vehicle for the transport of goods by land who is not a fully vaccinated person
13 A person who enters Canada at a land border crossing in either of the following circumstances:
  • (a) the person was denied entry into the United States at the land border crossing;
  • (b) the person entered the territory of the United States but did not seek legal entry into the United States at the land border crossing
14 A person who enters Canada regularly to go to their normal place of employment or returns from their normal place of employment in the United States and who, if they are not a fully vaccinated person, does not directly care for persons 65 years of age or older within the 14-day period that begins on the day on which the person enters Canada
15 A habitual resident of the remote communities of Northwest Angle, Minnesota or Point Roberts, Washington, who enters Canada to access the mainland United States or to return to their place of residence if neither they nor any other person in the conveyance leave the conveyance while in Canada
16 A habitual resident of the remote communities of Hyder, Alaska, Northwest Angle, Minnesota or Point Roberts, Washington, who seeks to enter Canada to carry out everyday functions within neighbouring communities of their community, if the person intends to remain in those communities while in Canada and does not intend to transit from Canada to a community in the United States other than their community or to another country
17 A habitual resident of the remote community of Campobello Island, New Brunswick who returns to Campobello Island after carrying out everyday functions within neighbouring communities of their community that are in the United States, if the person remains in those communities while in the United States
18 A fully vaccinated person who enters Canada from the remote communities of Hyder, Alaska, Northwest Angle, Minnesota or Point Roberts, Washington
19 A fully vaccinated person who
  • (a) enters the remote community of Campobello Island, New Brunswick by land via the United States after having left mainland Canada; or
  • (b) enters mainland Canada by land via the United States after having left Campobello island, New Brunswick
20 A habitual resident of Akwesasne, which is an integrated transborder community that exists on both sides of the Canada-United States border, who enters Canada within the boundaries of that community, if entering Canada is necessary for carrying out everyday functions within that community
21 A person who enters Canada to return to their habitual place of residence in Canada after carrying out everyday functions that, due to geographical constraints, necessarily involve entering the United States
22 A student who is enrolled at a listed institution within the meaning of any order made under section 58 of the Quarantine Act, who attends that institution regularly and who enters Canada to go to that institution, if the government of the province and the local health authority of the place where that institution is located have indicated to the Public Health Agency of Canada that the institution is authorized to accommodate students who are exempted from sections 4.1 and 4.3 of this Order
23 A driver of a conveyance who enters Canada to drop off a student enrolled in an institution referred to in item 22 or to pick the student up from that institution, if the driver leaves the conveyance while in Canada, if at all, only to escort the student to or from that institution and they wear a mask while outside the conveyance
24 A student who is enrolled at an educational institution in the United States, who attends that institution regularly and who enters Canada to return to their habitual place of residence after attending that institution and who, if they are not a fully vaccinated person, does not directly care for persons 65 years of age or older within the 14-day period that begins on the day on which the person enters Canada
25 A driver of a conveyance who enters Canada after dropping off a student enrolled in an institution referred to in item 24 or picking the student up from that institution and who enters Canada to return to their habitual place of residence after dropping off or picking up that student, if the driver left the conveyance while outside Canada, if at all, only to escort the student to or from that institution and they wore a mask while outside the conveyance
26 A dependent child who enters Canada under the terms of a written agreement or court order regarding custody, access or parenting
27 A driver of a conveyance who enters Canada to drop off or pick up a dependent child under the terms of a written agreement or court order regarding custody, access or parenting, if the driver leaves the conveyance while in Canada, if at all, only to escort the dependent child to or from the conveyance and they wear a mask while outside the conveyance
28 A driver of a conveyance who enters Canada after dropping off or picking up a dependent child under the terms of a written agreement or court order regarding custody, access or parenting, if the driver left the conveyance while outside Canada, if at all, only to escort the dependent child to or from the conveyance and they wore a mask while outside the conveyance
29 A habitual resident of the remote community of Stewart, British Columbia who enters Canada after having been in the United States only to access the necessities of life from the closest American community where such necessities of life are available
30 A person who, as determined by the Minister of Transport, will respond to, investigate or prevent significant disruptions to the effective continued operation of the national transportation system, transportation undertakings or transportation infrastructure, if the person complies with all conditions imposed on them by the Minister of Transport and developed in consultation with the Minister of Health to minimize the risk of introduction or spread of COVID-19
31 A person who, as determined by the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, will respond to, investigate or prevent events related to national security, if the person complies with all conditions imposed on them by the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness and developed in consultation with the Minister of Health to minimize the risk of introduction or spread of COVID-19
32 A person who, in extraordinary circumstances, is released by a quarantine officer from the requirements referred to in subsection 2.2(1) of this Order, in which case the person must follow the instructions of the quarantine officer
33 A habitual resident of a place in Alaska who enters Canada via Yukon or British Columbia to access another place in Alaska or to return to their place of residence if neither they nor any other person in the conveyance leave the conveyance while in Canada
34 A person who enters Canada from the United States with the intent to make a claim for refugee protection
35 An operator of a commercial motor vehicle who seeks to enter Canada for the purpose of delivering by land medically necessary supplies, equipment or devices
36 A person referred to in subsection 5(1) of the Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to COVID-19 in Canada Order (Prohibition of Entry into Canada)
37 A fully vaccinated person who provides the evidence of COVID-19 vaccination that they are required to provide under this Order by the means specified in this Order

TABLE 3

Entering by Water
Item Persons
1 A person who is less than five years of age
2 A crew member, excluding an operator of a commercial motor vehicle for the transport of goods by land who is not a fully vaccinated person
3 A person or any member of a class of persons who complies with all conditions imposed on them by the Chief Public Health Officer to minimize the risk of introduction or spread of COVID-19 and if, as determined by the Chief Public Health Officer,
  • (a) there are compelling reasons, based on public interest, for their entry to provide an essential service; and
  • (b) the requirements referred to in subsection 2.21(1) of this Order would adversely affect the ability of the person or member of a class of persons to provide the essential service
4 A person who is permitted to work in Canada as a provider of emergency services under paragraph 186(t) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations and who enters Canada for the purpose of providing those services
5 An emergency service provider, including a firefighter, peace officer or paramedic, who returns to Canada after providing emergency services in a foreign country and who is required to provide their services within the 14-day period that begins on the day on which they enter Canada
6 An official of the Government of Canada or a foreign government, including a border services officer, immigration enforcement officer, law enforcement officer or correctional officer, who is escorting an individual entering or leaving Canada pursuant to a legal process such as an international transfer of an offender or deportation or extradition of a person
7 An official of the Government of Canada, the government of a province or a foreign government, including a border services officer, immigration enforcement officer, law enforcement officer or correctional officer, who enters Canada for the purposes of border, immigration or law enforcement, or national security activities, that support active investigations, ensure the continuity of enforcement operations or activities or enable the transfer of information or evidence pursuant to or in support of a legal process
8 A person or any member of a class of persons for whom the release from the requirements set out in subsection 2.21(1) of this Order is, as determined by the Minister of Health, in the national interest, if the person complies with all conditions imposed on them by the Minister of Health to minimize the risk of introduction or spread of COVID-19
9 A member of the Canadian Forces, who enters Canada for the purpose of performing their duties as a member of those forces
10 A person who returns to Canada after suffering hardship in a foreign country, as determined by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, if the person complies with all conditions imposed on them by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and developed in consultation with the Minister of Health to minimize the risk of introduction or spread of COVID-19
11 A person in the trade or transportation sector who is important for the movement of goods or people who enters Canada for the purpose of performing their duties as a member of that sector, excluding an operator of a commercial motor vehicle for the transport of goods by land who is not a fully vaccinated person
12 A person who enters Canada regularly to go to their normal place of employment or returns from their normal place of employment in the United States and who, if they are not a fully vaccinated person, does not directly care for persons 65 years of age or older within the 14-day period that begins on the day on which the person enters Canada
13 A habitual resident of the remote communities of Hyder, Alaska, Northwest Angle, Minnesota or Point Roberts, Washington, who seeks to enter Canada to carry out everyday functions within neighbouring communities of their community, if the person remains in those communities while in Canada and does not intend to transit from Canada to a community in the United States other than their community or to another country
14 A habitual resident of the remote community of Campobello Island, New Brunswick who returns to Campobello Island after carrying out everyday functions within neighbouring communities of their community that are in the United States, if the person remained in those communities while in the United States
15 A habitual resident of Akwesasne, which is an integrated transborder community that exists on both sides of the Canada-United States border, who enters Canada within the boundaries of that community, if entering Canada is necessary for carrying out everyday functions within that community
16 A person who enters Canada to return to their habitual place of residence in Canada after carrying out everyday functions that, due to geographical constraints, necessarily involve entering the United States
17 A habitual resident of the remote community of Stewart, British Columbia who enters Canada after having been in the United States only to access the necessities of life from the closest American community where such necessities of life are available
18 A person who, as determined by the Minister of Transport, will respond to, investigate or prevent significant disruptions to the effective continued operation of the national transportation system, transportation undertakings or transportation infrastructure, if the person complies with all conditions imposed on them by the Minister of Transport and developed in consultation with the Minister of Health to minimize the risk of introduction or spread of COVID-19
19 A person who, as determined by the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, will respond to, investigate or prevent events related to national security, if the person complies with all conditions imposed on them by the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness and developed in consultation with the Minister of Health to minimize the risk of introduction or spread of COVID-19
20 A person who, in extraordinary circumstances, is released by a quarantine officer from the requirements referred to in subsection 2.21(1) of this Order, in which case the person must follow the instructions of the quarantine officer
21 A habitual resident of a place in Alaska who enters Canada via Yukon or British Columbia to access another place in Alaska or to return to their place of residence if neither they nor any other person in the conveyance leave the conveyance while in Canada
22 A person who enters Canada by water on board a Safety Convention vessel as defined in section 2 of the Canada Shipping Act, 2001, that is not a pleasure craft as defined in that section, nor a vessel that carries passengers, if the Safety Convention vessel has been travelling for more than 72 hours before arriving at its destination in Canada
23 A person who made a claim for refugee protection when entering Canada from the United States
24 An operator of a commercial motor vehicle who seeks to enter Canada for the purpose of delivering by land medically necessary supplies, equipment or devices
25 A person referred to in subsection 5(1) of the Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to COVID-19 in Canada Order (Prohibition of Entry into Canada)
26 A fully vaccinated person who provides the evidence of COVID-19 vaccination that they are required to provide under this Order by the means specified in this Order

SCHEDULE 2

(Paragraph 2.3(4)(a), subsection 3.2(2) and section 4.5)

Exempted Persons — Various Requirements

TABLE 1

Quarantine
Item Persons
1 A person referred to in paragraph (a) or (b) of the definition crew member in section 1.1 of this Order, excluding an operator of a commercial motor vehicle for the transport of goods by land who is not a fully vaccinated person
2 A person who enters Canada at the invitation of the Minister of Health for the purpose of assisting in the COVID-19 response
3 A member of the Canadian Forces or a visiting force, as defined in section 2 of the Visiting Forces Act, who enters Canada for the purpose of performing their duties as a member of that force
4 A person or any member of a class of persons who complies with all conditions imposed on them by the Chief Public Health Officer to minimize the risk of introduction or spread of COVID-19 and if, as determined by the Chief Public Health Officer,
  • (a) there are compelling reasons, based on public interest, for their entry to provide an essential service; and
  • (b) the requirement to quarantine themselves in accordance with section 4.1 of this Order would adversely affect the ability of the person to provide the essential service
5 A person or any member of a class of persons for whom the release from the requirements set out in section 4.1 of this Order to quarantine themselves, as determined by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration or the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, is in the national interest, if the person complies with all conditions imposed on them by the relevant Minister and developed in consultation with the Minister of Health to minimize the risk of introduction or spread of COVID-19
6 A person who is permitted to work in Canada as a provider of emergency services under paragraph 186(t) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations and who enters Canada for the purpose of providing those services
7 A person who enters Canada for the purpose of providing medical care, transporting or collecting essential medical equipment, supplies or means of treatment, or delivering, installing, maintaining or repairing medically necessary equipment or devices and who, if they are not a fully vaccinated person, does not directly care for persons 65 years of age or older within the 14-day period that begins on the day on which the person enters Canada
8 A person who enters Canada for the purpose of receiving essential medical services or treatments, other than services or treatments related to COVID-19, within 36 hours following their entry into Canada, or within 96 hours following their entry into Canada if the person resides in Saint Pierre and Miquelon as long as they remain under medical supervision for the 14-day period that begins on the day on which they enter Canada
9 A Canadian citizen, permanent resident of Canada, temporary resident, protected person or person registered as an Indian under the Indian Act who resides in Canada and who received essential medical services or treatments in a foreign country, if the person has
  • (a) written evidence from a health care practitioner in Canada who is licensed to practise their profession in Canada, indicating that the medical services or treatments outside Canada are essential, unless the services or treatments are for primary or emergency medical services under an agreement with another jurisdiction; and
  • (b) written evidence from a health care practitioner in the foreign country who is licensed to practise their profession in the foreign country, indicating that the services or treatments were provided in that country
10 A person who is permitted to work in Canada as a student in a health field under paragraph 186(p) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations and who enters Canada for the purpose of performing their duties as a student in the health field and who, if they are not a fully vaccinated person, does not directly care for persons 65 years of age or older within the 14-day period that begins on the day on which the person enters Canada
11 A health care practitioner licensed to practise their profession with proof of employment in Canada who enters Canada for the purpose of performing their duties as a practitioner and who, if they are not a fully vaccinated person, does not directly care for persons 65 years of age or older within the 14-day period that begins on the day on which the person enters Canada
12 A person, including a captain, deckhand, observer, inspector, scientist and any other person supporting commercial or research fishing-related activities, who enters Canada on board a Canadian fishing vessel or a foreign fishing vessel, as those terms are defined in subsection 2(1) of the Coastal Fisheries Protection Act, for the purpose of carrying out fishing or fishing-related activities, including offloading of fish, repairs, provisioning of the vessel and exchange of crew
13 A habitual resident of Akwesasne, which is an integrated transborder community that exists on both sides of the Canada-United States border, who enters Canada within the boundaries of that community, if entering Canada is necessary for carrying out everyday functions within that community
14 A person who enters Canada to return to their habitual place of residence in Canada after carrying out everyday functions that, due to geographical constraints, necessarily involve entering the United States
15 A person who enters Canada on board a vessel, as defined in section 2 of the Canada Shipping Act, 2001, that is engaged in research and that is operated by or under the authority of the Government of Canada or at its request or operated by the government of a province, a local authority or a government, council or other entity authorized to act on behalf of an Indigenous group, if the person remains on board the vessel
16 A student who is enrolled at a listed institution within the meaning of any order made under section 58 of the Quarantine Act, who attends that institution regularly and who enters Canada to go to that institution, if the government of the province and the local health authority of the place where that institution is located have indicated to the Public Health Agency of Canada that the institution is authorized to accommodate students who are exempted from sections 4.1 and 4.3 of this Order
17 A driver of a conveyance who enters Canada to drop off a student enrolled in an institution referred to in item 16 or to pick the student up from that institution, if the driver leaves the conveyance while in Canada, if at all, only to escort the student to or from that institution and they wear a mask while outside the conveyance
18 A student who is enrolled at an educational institution in the United States, who attends that institution regularly and who enters Canada to return to their habitual place of residence after attending that institution and who, if they are not a fully vaccinated person, does not directly care for persons 65 years of age or older within the 14-day period that begins on the day on which the person enters Canada
19 A driver of a conveyance who enters Canada after dropping off a student enrolled in an institution referred to in item 18 or picking the student up from that institution and who enters Canada to return to their habitual place of residence after dropping off or picking up that student, if the driver left the conveyance while outside Canada, if at all, only to escort the student to or from that institution and they wore a mask while outside the conveyance
20 A dependent child who enters Canada under the terms of a written agreement or court order regarding custody, access or parenting
21 A driver of a conveyance who enters Canada to drop off or pick up a dependent child under the terms of a written agreement or court order regarding custody, access or parenting, if the driver leaves the conveyance while in Canada, if at all, only to escort the dependent child to or from the conveyance and they wear a mask while outside the conveyance
22 A driver of a conveyance who enters Canada after dropping off or picking up a dependent child under the terms of a written agreement or court order regarding custody, access or parenting, if the driver left the conveyance while outside Canada, if at all, only to escort the dependent child to or from the conveyance and they wore a mask while outside the conveyance
23 A habitual resident of the remote communities of Hyder, Alaska, Northwest Angle, Minnesota or Point Roberts, Washington, who enters Canada to carry out everyday functions within neighbouring communities of their community, if the person remains in those communities while in Canada and does not transit from Canada to a community in the United States other than their community or to another country
24 A habitual resident of the remote community of Campobello Island, New Brunswick who returns to Campobello Island after carrying out everyday functions within neighbouring communities of their community that are in the United States, if the person remains in those communities while in the United States
25 A habitual resident of the remote community of Stewart, British Columbia who enters Canada after having entered the United States only to access the necessities of life from the closest American community where such necessities of life are available
26 A person who enters Canada in a conveyance at a land border crossing in either of the following circumstances, if neither the person nor any other person in the conveyance left the conveyance while outside Canada:
  • (a) the person was denied entry into the United States at the land border crossing;
  • (b) the person entered the territory of the United States but did not seek legal entry into the United States at the land border crossing
27 A person who, under an arrangement entered into between the Minister of Health and the minister responsible for health care in the province where the person enters Canada, is participating in a project to gather information to inform the development of quarantine requirements other than those set out in this Order, if the person complies with all conditions imposed on them by the Minister of Health to minimize the risk of introduction or spread of COVID-19
28 A person or any person in a class of persons for whom the release from the requirements set out in section 4.1 of this Order to quarantine themselves, as determined by the Chief Public Health Officer, does not pose a risk of significant harm to public health, if the person complies with all conditions imposed on them by the Chief Public Health Officer to minimize the risk of introduction or spread of COVID-19

TABLE 2

Undergoing Tests in Canada
Item Persons
1 A person referred to in paragraph (a) or (b) of the definition crew member in section 1.1 of this Order, excluding an operator of a commercial motor vehicle for the transport of goods by land who is not a fully vaccinated person
2 A person who enters Canada at the invitation of the Minister of Health for the purpose of assisting in the COVID-19 response
3 A member of the Canadian Forces or a visiting force, as defined in section 2 of the Visiting Forces Act, who enters Canada for the purpose of performing their duties as a member of that force
4 A person or any member of a class of persons who complies with all conditions imposed on them by the Chief Public Health Officer to minimize the risk of introduction or spread of COVID-19 and if, as determined by the Chief Public Health Officer,
  • (a) there are compelling reasons, based on public interest, for their entry to provide an essential service; and
  • (b) the requirement to undergo a COVID-19 molecular test in accordance with subsection 2.3(1) or (1.2) of this Order would adversely affect the ability of the person or member of a class of persons to provide the essential service
5 A person or any member of a class of persons referred to in item 5 of Table 1 of Schedule 2 for whom the release from the requirement set out in subsection 2.3(1) or (1.2) of this Order to undergo a COVID-19 molecular test is, as determined by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration or the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, in the national interest, if the person complies with all conditions imposed on them by the relevant Minister and developed in consultation with the Minister of Health to minimize the risk of introduction or spread of COVID-19
6 A person who is permitted to work in Canada as a provider of emergency services under paragraph 186(t) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations and who enters Canada for the purpose of providing those services
7 A person who enters Canada for the purpose of providing medical care, transporting or collecting essential medical equipment, supplies or means of treatment, or delivering, installing, maintaining or repairing medically necessary equipment or devices and who, if they are not a fully vaccinated person, does not directly care for persons 65 years of age or older within the 14-day period that begins on the day on which the person enters Canada
8 A person who enters Canada for the purpose of receiving essential medical services or treatments, other than services or treatments related to COVID-19, within 36 hours following their entry into Canada, or within 96 hours following their entry into Canada if the person resides in Saint Pierre and Miquelon as long as they remain under medical supervision for the 14-day period that begins on the day on which they enter Canada
9 A Canadian citizen, permanent resident of Canada, temporary resident, protected person or person registered as an Indian under the Indian Act who resides in Canada and who received essential medical services or treatments in a foreign country, if the person has
  • (a) written evidence from a health care practitioner in Canada who is licensed to practise their profession in Canada, indicating that the medical services or treatments outside Canada are essential, unless the services or treatments are for primary or emergency medical services under an agreement with another jurisdiction; and
  • (b) written evidence from a health care practitioner in the foreign country who is licensed to practise their profession in the foreign country, indicating that the services or treatments were provided in that country
10 A person who is permitted to work in Canada as a student in a health field under paragraph 186(p) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations and who enters Canada for the purpose of performing their duties as a student in the health field and who, if they are not a fully vaccinated person, does not directly care for persons 65 years of age or older within the 14-day period that begins on the day on which the person enters Canada
11 A health care practitioner licensed to practise their profession with proof of employment in Canada who enters Canada for the purpose of performing their duties as a practitioner and who, if they are not a fully vaccinated person, does not directly care for persons 65 years of age or older within the 14-day period that begins on the day on which the person enters Canada
12 A person, including a captain, deckhand, observer, inspector, scientist and any other person supporting commercial or research fishing-related activities, who enters Canada on board a Canadian fishing vessel or a foreign fishing vessel, as those terms are defined in subsection 2(1) of the Coastal Fisheries Protection Act, for the purpose of carrying out fishing or fishing-related activities, including offloading of fish, repairs, provisioning of the vessel and exchange of crew
13 A habitual resident of Akwesasne, which is an integrated transborder community that exists on both sides of the Canada-United States border, who enters Canada within the boundaries of that community, if entering Canada is necessary for carrying out everyday functions within that community
14 A person who enters Canada to return to their habitual place of residence in Canada after carrying out everyday functions that, due to geographical constraints, necessarily involve entering the United States
15 A person who enters Canada on board a vessel, as defined in section 2 of the Canada Shipping Act, 2001, that is engaged in research and that is operated by or under the authority of the Government of Canada or at its request or operated by the government of a province, a local authority or a government, council or other entity authorized to act on behalf of an Indigenous group, if the person remains on board the vessel
16 A student who is enrolled at a listed institution within the meaning of any order made under section 58 of the Quarantine Act, who attends that institution regularly and who enters Canada to go to that institution, if the government of the province and the local health authority of the place where that institution is located have indicated to the Public Health Agency of Canada that the institution is authorized to accommodate students who are exempted from sections 4.1 and 4.3 of this Order
17 A driver of a conveyance who enters Canada to drop off a student enrolled in an institution referred to in item 16 or to pick the student up from that institution, if the driver leaves the conveyance while in Canada, if at all, only to escort the student to or from that institution and they wear a mask while outside the conveyance
18 A student who is enrolled at an educational institution in the United States, who attends that institution regularly and who enters Canada to return to their habitual place of residence after attending that institution and who, if they are not a fully vaccinated person, does not directly care for persons 65 years of age or older within the 14-day period that begins on the day on which the person enters Canada
19 A driver of a conveyance who enters Canada after dropping off a student enrolled in an institution referred to in item 18 or picking the student up from that institution and who enters Canada to return to their habitual place of residence after dropping off or picking up that student, if the driver left the conveyance while outside Canada, if at all, only to escort the student to or from that institution and they wore a mask while outside the conveyance
20 A dependent child who enters Canada under the terms of a written agreement or court order regarding custody, access or parenting
21 A driver of a conveyance who enters Canada to drop off or pick up a dependent child under the terms of a written agreement or court order regarding custody, access or parenting, if the driver leaves the conveyance while in Canada, if at all, only to escort the dependent child to or from the conveyance and they wear a mask while outside the conveyance
22 A driver of a conveyance who enters Canada after dropping off or picking up a dependent child under the terms of a written agreement or court order regarding custody, access or parenting, if the driver left the conveyance while outside Canada, if at all, only to escort the dependent child to or from the conveyance and they wore a mask while outside the conveyance
23 A habitual resident of the remote community of Stewart, British Columbia who enters Canada after having entered the United States only to access the necessities of life from the closest American community where such necessities of life are available
24 A habitual resident of the remote communities of Hyder, Alaska, Northwest Angle, Minnesota or Point Roberts, Washington, who enters Canada to carry out everyday functions within neighbouring communities of their community, if the person remains in those communities while in Canada and does not transit from Canada to a community in the United States other than their community or to another country
25 A habitual resident of the remote community of Campobello Island, New Brunswick who returns to Campobello Island after carrying out everyday functions within neighbouring communities of their community that are in the United States, if the person remained in those communities while in the United States
26 A person who enters Canada in a conveyance at a land border crossing in either of the following circumstances, if neither the person nor any other person in the conveyance left the conveyance while outside Canada:
  • (a) the person was denied entry into the United States at the land border crossing;
  • (b) the person entered the territory of the United States but did not seek legal entry into the United States at the land border crossing
27 A person who, under an arrangement entered into between the Minister of Health and the minister responsible for health care in the province where the person enters Canada, is participating in a project to gather information to inform the development of quarantine requirements other than those set out in this Order, if the person complies with all conditions imposed on them by the Minister of Health to minimize the risk of introduction or spread of COVID-19
28 A person or any person in a class of persons for whom the release from the requirement set out in subsection 2.3(1) or (1.2) of this Order to undergo a COVID-19 molecular test does not, as determined by the Chief Public Health Officer, pose a risk of significant harm to public health, if the person complies with all conditions imposed on them by the Chief Public Health Officer to minimize the risk of introduction or spread of COVID-19
29 A person who is less than five years of age
30 A person who provides to the screening officer or quarantine officer evidence of a COVID-19 molecular test indicating that they received a positive result for a COVID-19 molecular test that was performed on a specimen collected no more than 180 days before their entry into Canada or before the aircraft’s initial scheduled departure time
31 Any person who boards a medical evacuation flight for medical purposes, if the urgency of the medical situation does not permit a COVID-19 molecular test on entry into Canada
32 Any person who undergoes a test referred to in subsection 2.4(1) of this Order
33 A habitual resident of Northwest Angle, Minnesota or Point Roberts, Washington, who enters Canada to access the mainland United States or to return to their place of residence if neither they nor any other person in the conveyance leave the conveyance while in Canada
34 A person or any member of a class of persons for whom the release from the requirement set out in subsection 2.3(1) or (1.2) of this Order to undergo a COVID-19 molecular test in Canada is, as determined by the Minister of Health, in the national interest, if the person complies with all conditions imposed on them by the Minister of Health to minimize the risk of introduction or spread of COVID-19
35 A person who, as determined by the Minister of Transport, will respond to, investigate or prevent significant disruptions to the effective continued operation of the national transportation system, transportation undertakings or transportation infrastructure, if the person complies with all conditions imposed on them by the Minister of Transport and developed in consultation with the Minister of Health to minimize the risk of introduction or spread of COVID-19
36 A person who, as determined by the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, will respond to, investigate or prevent events related to national security, if the person complies with all conditions imposed on them by the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness and developed in consultation with the Minister of Health to minimize the risk of introduction or spread of COVID-19
37 An accredited person and a person holding a D1, O1 or C1 visa entering Canada to take up a post and become an accredited person
38 A diplomatic or consular courier
39 A habitual resident of a place in Alaska who enters Canada via Yukon or British Columbia to access another place in Alaska or to return to their place of residence if neither they nor any other person in the conveyance leave the conveyance while in Canada
40 A person who enters Canada by water
41 A passenger of a cruise ship who, after disembarking from the cruise ship,
  • (a) enters Canada by aircraft or by land in the course of an excursion; and
  • (b) intends to return to the cruise ship at the end of the excursion

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order.)

Proposal

This Order in Council, entitled Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to COVID-19 in Canada Order (Quarantine, Isolation and Other Obligations), is made pursuant to section 58 of the Quarantine Act.

The Order repeals and replaces the Order in Council P.C. 2022-178 of the same title, which came into force on February 28, 2022.

This Order complements the Order in Council entitled Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to COVID-19 in Canada Order (Prohibition of Entry into Canada), and any related interim order made under the Aeronautics Act and the Canada Shipping Act, 2001 to minimize the risk of importing COVID-19.

Except for the provisions of this Order that will come into force at 00:01:00 EDT on April 1, 2022, and at 00:01:00 EDT on April 25, 2022, as detailed under the “Implications” section, this Order will be in effect from 23:59:58 EDT on March 31, 2022, until 23:59:59 EDT on May 31, 2022.

Objective

The new Order maintains Canada’s focus on reducing the introduction and spread of COVID-19 and new variants of the virus into Canada by decreasing the risk of importing cases from outside the country.

This Order continues to require all persons who enter Canada, whether by air, land, or water, to provide accurate contact information for the first 14 days in Canada, and to answer questions to determine if they have signs or symptoms of COVID-19. The Order maintains all requirements for unvaccinated travellers, subject to limited exceptions, to have a valid COVID-19 negative test result before entering Canada (or positive result in some cases), to undergo testing when entering and once again later in the 14-day post-entry period, and to quarantine upon entry into Canada. Under this Order, mandatory traveller declarations on vaccination status, proof of vaccination, and random testing requirements for fully vaccinated persons remain.

This Order amends some of the entry requirements and post-arrival measures for fully vaccinated travellers, and, subject to a delayed coming-into-force, unvaccinated children less than 12 years of age accompanied by an eligible fully vaccinated parent, step-parent, guardian, or tutor. All changes to the Order are described under the “Implications” section. The new Order extends the duration of the measures until May 31, 2022.

Background

COVID-19

COVID-19 is caused by a novel coronavirus capable of causing severe illness, named Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Although it is part of a family of viruses that includes Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), SARS-CoV-2 is more contagious.

COVID-19 was first detected in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease is caused by a new strain of coronavirus never before seen in humans. Information about the virus, how it causes disease, whom it affects, and how to appropriately treat or prevent illness has been developing over the past two years. Information continues to develop and evolve as new variants of the virus emerge.

SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, spreads from an infected person to others through short- and long-range aerosols when an infected person breathes, coughs, sneezes, sings, shouts, or talks. The droplets vary in size, from large droplets that fall to the ground rapidly (within seconds or minutes) near the infected person, to smaller droplets, sometimes called aerosols, which linger in the air in some circumstances.

COVID-19 can be a severe, life-threatening respiratory disease. Patients with COVID-19 may present symptoms that may include fever, malaise, dry cough, and shortness of breath. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and death. Older individuals and those with a weakened immune system or an underlying medical condition are at a higher risk of severe disease. The time from exposure to onset of symptoms can vary considerably among those infected, with an estimated median of 5 to 6 days; evidence suggests this is shorter for the Omicron variant. Approximately 95% of those infected will develop symptoms within 14 days of exposure. Evidence indicates that the majority of individuals infected with COVID-19 who have a healthy immune system may transmit the virus up to 10 days after becoming infectious.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared an outbreak of what is now known as COVID-19 to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on January 30, 2020, and a pandemic on March 11, 2020. COVID-19 has demonstrated that it can cause widespread illness if not controlled. The WHO continues to provide technical guidance and advice to countries for controlling the pandemic, including identification of cases and recommendations for measures to prevent further spread. Since September 2020, multiple countries have detected SARS-CoV-2 variants whose mutations may increase pathogenicity and/or transmissibility, and potentially reduce vaccine effectiveness; these are referred to as variants of concern. The introduction of the new, more transmissible variants of concern of the virus causing COVID-19 has increased the negative health impacts of COVID-19.

Evidence indicates that the domestic Omicron wave has peaked. Domestic availability of COVID-19 vaccines and high levels of vaccination coverage among the people of Canada provide protection against infection (though immunity wanes over time) and severe disease. Emerging evidence also suggests that a booster dose provides additional protection against infection, and in particular against severe disease. Domestic hospitalization rates for COVID-19 are decreasing. In addition, Canada has authorized therapeutic products to prevent the virus from multiplying in human cells and to treat the symptoms of COVID-19 so that provinces and territories may administer these drugs, as required.

Based on these factors, effective February 28, 2022, the Government of Canada adjusted its travel health notice from a Level 3 to a Level 2, meaning that the Government ceased recommending that Canadians avoid travel for non-essential purposes and is instead advising travellers to practise enhanced health precautions when travelling internationally.

Testing

Testing capabilities advanced significantly in early 2021. Over 160 countries and territories require a negative pre-travel COVID-19 test or medical certificate as a condition of entry into their jurisdictions. The United States, for instance, currently requires that all travellers arriving by air to the United States have evidence of a negative pre-departure molecular or antigen test no more than one day prior to boarding a flight to the United States, irrespective of vaccination status. The United States does not currently require testing for entry at the land border.

Canada’s high vaccination rates and epidemiological situation support lifting of pre-arrival testing for fully vaccinated travellers at this time. Furthermore, test positivity from February 27 to March 19, 2022, for children less than 12 years of age is 1.81%, representing a significantly lower public health risk posed by this cohort when compared to test positivity of other unvaccinated cohorts. Many countries across Europe have recently relaxed several COVID-19 measures, including testing and quarantine entry requirements, and continue to plan for further relaxation. Pre-arrival testing requirements remain in place for other unvaccinated travellers in order to protect against the introduction of new variants and the spread of COVID-19 in Canada and to reduce the potential burden on the health care system. Emergence of variants of concern is more likely to occur with the persistence of limited COVID-19 vaccine access in many countries and/or less effective vaccines in use. In these regards, unvaccinated travellers 12 years of age or older may present a greater risk of variants of concern at the border, supporting a rationale for differential public health requirements on entry.

Antigen tests have a lower sensitivity than molecular tests for detecting COVID-19 over the duration of infection, and are less likely to detect asymptomatic infections. However, evidence indicates that rapid antigen tests (RATs) can detect most cases with high viral load, which are the most likely to be infectious. The reliability of RATs, coupled with their broad international availability, high domestic vaccination rates, and the improving epidemiological situation in Canada, supports adoption of RATs for the purposes of pre-arrival testing of travellers required to provide proof of pre-arrival testing, seeking to enter Canada. Accepting RATs under some circumstances brings Canada’s border and travel measures into closer alignment with those of many other countries, including the United States and many G7 allies, which either do not have pre-arrival testing requirements in effect or accept evidence from RATs to meet pre-arrival testing requirements. In addition, recognizing negative RAT results for Canada’s pre-arrival test requirement reduces the barriers to travel, given the higher cost and difficulty of acquiring molecular tests in some jurisdictions.

Available science demonstrates that, as is the case with many other viruses, a person may continue to obtain a positive molecular test result up to 180 days after their infection, even though they are no longer considered infectious. Positive molecular test results of previously infected individuals, for tests performed on a specimen collected up to 180 days prior, should not be considered as evidence of a new infection posing risk, but rather that a person has recovered from a prior COVID-19 infection. Since a positive test result may inadvertently prevent a recovered patient from entering Canada, acceptable proof of prior infection from an asymptomatic traveller is accepted as an alternative to a negative pre-arrival test. Requiring that prior positive test results be performed on a specimen collected at least 10 days before the initial scheduled departure (by air) or arrival time (by land) allows for the time needed to become non-infectious, thus preventing those persons who may be infectious from travelling and possibly transmitting COVID-19 upon travel to Canada. Due to the possibility of a false positive result from a rapid antigen test, a positive molecular test result will continue to be required as proof of a previous positive COVID-19 infection.

Vaccination

Another technological development assisting in pandemic control measures is COVID-19 vaccines. The COVID-19 vaccines are effective at preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19. Against earlier variants of concern such as Delta, two doses of the vaccine decreased symptomatic and asymptomatic infection and hence could reduce the risk of transmission of SARS-CoV-2; however, effectiveness varied depending on the COVID-19 vaccine product received and decreased over time, following vaccination. Despite the proven efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines, Omicron has been reported to have a high number of concerning mutations, including mutations to the spike protein, which is the target of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, as well as in locations thought to be potential drivers of transmissibility. The concerns and potential risks of these mutations are that this variant of concern is able to spread faster than previous variants (e.g. Delta). This is the case with Omicron sub-lineage BA.2, which has a growth advantage over the first detected sub-lineage BA.1 due to its genetic sequence and differences in the spike protein. However, preliminary findings do not suggest a significant difference in severity between the two sub-lineages. Against Omicron, two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine are less effective at decreasing symptomatic or asymptomatic infection, but still offer reasonable protection against severe disease. A booster dose increases protection against severe disease, as well as against infection, but protection remains lower than the protection against earlier variants such as Delta.

Globally, 63.8% of the world population has received at least one dose, and 56.8% is fully vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine, as of March 15, 2022. While 73.6% of people in high-income countries have been fully vaccinated, only 14.0% of people in low-income countries have received at least one dose. Vaccine accessibility remains a challenge, especially for children and adolescents.

In the United States, as of January 22, 2022, all inbound foreign national travellers seeking to enter via land ports of entry or ferry terminals — whether for essential or non-essential reasons — must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 (two weeks after their second dose in a two-dose series, or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine) and provide related proof of vaccination. This is in addition to the December 21, 2021, requirements for all inbound foreign nationals entering the United States by air to be fully vaccinated. There are some exceptions for unvaccinated non-U.S. citizens arriving by air, and these include, but are not limited to, persons on diplomatic or official foreign government travel, children under 18 years of age, persons with documented medical contraindications to receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, and persons issued a humanitarian or emergency exception.

The 2022 cruise ship season begins in early April, with the first vessel arriving in Victoria, British Columbia, on April 6, 2022. Travellers arriving by cruise ship must be fully vaccinated, with limited exceptions. Vaccination requirements will be verified by the authorized representative of a cruise ship prior to embarkation as a requirement under the Transport Canada Interim Order (TC IO) under the Canada Shipping Act, 2001 (Interim Order No. 3 Respecting Vessel Restrictions and Vaccination Requirements Due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)). The vaccination requirements under the TC IO are generally aligned with those in the emergency orders made under the Quarantine Act. Similar to air mode, authorized representatives will be advised that foreign nationals who do not meet the requirements in the emergency orders will be prohibited entry into Canada and that they are prevented from transporting these individuals into Canada under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (paragraph 148(1)(a)) and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (paragraph 258.1(c)). In addition to the regulatory requirements in place, most major cruise lines travelling to Canada have implemented their own vaccination requirements for passengers, which are increasingly strict, even for children under the age of 5 who are ineligible for vaccination altogether. The Holland America, RSSC-Regent, Oceana, and Seaborn lines continue to require all passengers to be fully vaccinated; therefore, children who are not eligible for vaccination are not able to board. Some cruise lines, such as Crystal, Celebrity, Princess, Disney and Norwegian, have vaccination exemptions for children younger than 5 to allow them to sail without a vaccination. However, the number of exemptions that can be issued for young children per voyage is often limited (aiming for less than 5% of passengers as unvaccinated). Carnival and Royal Caribbean are still permitting all children 12 and under to board without proof of vaccination, but if they are unvaccinated, they may be restricted from certain cruise-related activities.

As of March 17, 2022, 76.8% of the total U.S. population has received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, 65.3 % is fully vaccinated, and 44.4% of the fully vaccinated population has received a booster dose. By comparison, as of March 16, 2022, over 85% of the Canadian population had received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, with over 81% having received two doses. Almost 57% of children ages 5 to 11 have received at least one dose, and over 17.6 million Canadians have received a booster dose.

The Government of Canada has sought to align exemptions for international and domestic vaccination-related requirements. In terms of domestic measures, on August 13, 2021, the Government of Canada announced its intent to require COVID-19 vaccination for federal employees and for air, rail, and marine passengers. As of October 30, 2021, the Government of Canada requires employers in the federally regulated air, rail, and marine transportation sectors to establish vaccination policies for their employees.

Effective October 30, 2021, air passengers departing from Canadian airports, travellers on VIA Rail and Rocky Mountaineer trains, and travellers 12 years of age and older on non-essential passenger vessels on voyages of 24 hours or more, such as cruise ships, needed to be vaccinated or show a valid COVID-19 negative molecular test taken within 72 hours prior to the scheduled departure time. As of November 30, 2021, all domestic travellers are required to be fully vaccinated, with very limited exceptions to address specific situations, such as emergency travel and those medically unable to be vaccinated. Effective January 15, 2022, the Government of Canada reduced the number of exemptions for unvaccinated or partially vaccinated foreign nationals seeking to enter Canada.

As of February 28, 2022, Canada’s current list of accepted vaccines for the purposes of entry, requirement for quarantine and other exemptions includes 10 COVID-19 vaccines that have currently completed the WHO Emergency Use Listing (EUL) process. Five of those are currently authorized by Health Canada for sale and use in Canada. WHO EUL review of new COVID-19 vaccines is an ongoing process as part of efforts to increase vaccine availability and access worldwide. Canada considers new WHO EUL COVID-19 vaccines for border entry purposes based on the available scientific data and review undertaken by the WHO.

Other measures

Even at current levels of vaccination coverage, core public health and personal protective measures, such as limiting travel and contacts in public places, continue to be important for managing the increases in COVID-19 cases, protecting the vulnerable, and reducing the risk of overwhelming health care capacity.

Requiring that unvaccinated or partially vaccinated persons wear masks in public places remains an effective public health measure to prevent the transmission of COVID-19. Evidence suggests that mask use decreases transmission in the community when adherence levels are good and when masks are worn in accordance with public health guidance.

COVID-19 situation globally

The cumulative number of COVID-19 cases reported globally is now over 461 million and the number of deaths exceeds 6.0 million. For the week of March 7 to 13, 2022, the global number of new cases reported was over 11 million, an 8% increase as compared to the previous week. The large number of weekly case counts appears to be driven by the circulation of the more transmissible Omicron variant, easing of domestic public health and border measures, coupled with increased social mixing and low global vaccine coverage.

According to the WHO weekly report, as of March 13, 2022, the Western Pacific, African, and European regions reported increases in the incidence of weekly cases (an increase of 29%, 12% and 2% respectively), while all other regions reported decreases. The Western Pacific region reported over 5.0 million new cases, representing 44% of the new cases reported globally in the previous week. Europe, reporting over 4.9 million cases in the previous week, also accounted for 44% of all new global cases.

Despite efforts to extend vaccination coverage, many countries across all six WHO regions continue to experience surges in COVID-19 cases. As of March 13, 2022, the countries reporting the highest number of cases in the previous seven days as compared to the prior week were the Republic of Korea (2.1 million new cases; 44% increase), Vietnam (1.6 million new cases; 65% increase), Germany (1.4 million new cases; 22% increase), the Netherlands (0.47 million new cases; 42% increase), and France (0.42 million new cases; 20% increase). The United States continues to experience very high Omicron-driven COVID-19 activity across the country, with over 31 000 daily new cases reported in the week of March 9 to 15, 2022; however, these rates represent a 77% decrease from the previous month. The domestic test positivity rate in the United States has decreased to 2.8% as of March 8, 2022.

In many countries, the spread of more contagious variants of concern has contributed to increased transmission. Since fall of 2020, more transmissible variants of the virus were detected in the United Kingdom, South Africa, Brazil, and India and spread to many countries around the globe, including the United States and Canada. International air travel is a vector of global transmission. The Omicron variant currently predominates, with all other variants, including variants of concern (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta) and variants of interest (Lambda and Mu), continuing to decline in all six WHO regions. Of the 346 064 positive variant of concern sequences uploaded to the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data, with specimens collected over the four weeks ending March 7, 2022, approximately 99.99% were Omicron, with Delta and Alpha making up the remainder. Some cases of other variants of interest, for example recombinant AY.4 x BA.1, were reported in extremely small numbers but are not variants of concern at this time.

On December 15, 2021, the Government of Canada reinstated a Level 3 Omicron-SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern global travel health notice to advise against any non-essential travel abroad, due to travellers’ increased risk of being infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 when travelling internationally, as well as the risk of facing difficulties returning to Canada, or of having to remain abroad due to travel restrictions by foreign governments. On February 28, 2022, the Government of Canada adjusted its travel health notice from a Level 3 to a Level 2, meaning that the Government ceased recommending that Canadians avoid travel for non-essential purposes. On March 7, 2022, the Government of Canada also adjusted the cruise ship travel notice and removed the blanket advisory to avoid all cruise ship travel. The advisory was updated to allow travellers to make an informed decision about cruise travel. This direction aligns with that of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which updated its advice on February 15, 2022, and no longer recommends that travellers avoid all cruise ship travel, unless they are unvaccinated or at increased risk of severe illness.

Nonetheless, the increased transmission associated with these variants increases the risk of accelerated spread. There remains the potential for a resurgence of travel-related cases in Canada.

The WHO has published an interim guidance document providing national authorities with a step-by-step approach to decision-making for calibrating risk mitigation measures and establishing policies to allow for safe international travel, but currently, there is no internationally accepted standard for establishing travel thresholds or assessing a country’s COVID-19 risk. At this time, it is the view of the Government of Canada that travel continues to present a risk of importing cases, including cases of new variants of the virus that causes COVID-19, and increases the potential for onward community transmission of COVID-19. With inequities globally with regard to vaccine access, efforts to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19 and variants of concern continue.

In the United States, cruise ships have been operating passenger voyages since the summer of 2021, as enabled through the U.S. CDC Framework for Conditional Sailing Order (CSO) issued on October 30, 2020. The CSO outlined a phased approach to steer the safe resumption of passenger operations on board cruise ships, including (1) the establishment of laboratory testing of the crew on board cruise ships in U.S. waters; (2) simulated voyages designed to test the ability of cruise ship operators to mitigate COVID-19 on board cruise ships; (3) a certification process; and (4) a return to passenger voyages. The CSO expired on January 15, 2022, and was replaced by the voluntary CDC COVID-19 Program for Cruise Ships Operating in U.S. Waters in early February 2022. To date, 114 vessels have opted into the program and are required to follow all CDC recommendations and guidance as a condition of their participation. Therefore, ships participating in the program remain subject to CDC measures, which include surveillance through daily enhanced data collection; COVID-19 testing for crew members, symptomatic travellers as well as their close contacts; and isolation and quarantine for confirmed cases.

Surveillance data gathered through CDC mechanisms allows for an understanding of the dynamics surrounding the Omicron variant within U.S. passenger cruise voyages. CDC enhanced data collection shows that since December 21, 2021, case counts and the positivity rate on board cruise ships operating in U.S. waters have consistently followed a downward trend. During this period, cases reached a peak in the seven-day period between January 7 and January 13, 2022, when a total of 7 147 cases were registered among passengers and crew on board 107 ships (representing a positivity rate of 3.83%). In comparison, reporting data for the seven-day period between March 4 and 10, 2022, saw case counts descend to a total of 513 cases among passengers and crew on board 111 ships (representing a positivity rate of 0.19%). Since late December 2021, counts of medical interventions (including hospitalizations, requirements for mechanical ventilation and emergency medical evacuations) have remained relatively stable. Reported incidents have seen an overall decline from a peak seen during the seven-day period between January 14 and January 20, 2022, where CDC reporting data showed a count of five hospitalizations, zero requirements for mechanical ventilation, and four emergency medical evacuations. It is notable that since December 21, 2021, there have been zero incidents where cruise passengers required mechanical ventilation.

COVID-19 situation in Canada

While most epidemiological indicators of COVID-19 disease activity have continued to improve nationally and in most jurisdictions, the SARS-CoV-2 virus is still circulating widely and the epidemiological situation varies across the country. Easing of public health measures in Canada could lead to further increased transmission.

National confirmed daily case counts remain high, with a seven-day moving average of 4 680 daily cases for the week ending March 16, 2022. This represents a 3.8% decrease from the previous week. Nationally, for the week ending March 16, 2022, hospitalizations were down 11.6% (seven-day moving average of 3 619) and intensive care unit admissions were down 12.1% (seven-day moving average of 441). The seven-day moving average for daily deaths was 48 for the week ending March 16, 2022, a decrease of 8.5% from the previous week. National case and death statistics are compiled using data from 9 of 13 provinces and territories, and hospitalizations and intensive care unit admissions are compiled using data from 6 of 13 provinces and territories.

With respect to provincial/territorial testing, an average of approximately 37 000 daily tests were performed between March 9 and 15, 2022. This was approximately 6.6% fewer daily tests than the previous week. The test positivity rate was 13.9%, up from approximately 12.5% the previous week. Most jurisdictions have implemented testing policies to target at-risk populations; therefore, the true incidence of disease is likely much higher than what is reported.

Additional evidence demonstrates that a combination of pre-arrival and post-arrival testing facilitates the detection of persons with COVID-19 entering Canada. Identification of cases permits genetic sequencing and the identification of variants of concern, including new variants of concern that may emerge in the future, to support public health efforts to reduce COVID-19 spread.

While Omicron is more transmissible than previous variants, available evidence indicates it is less severe, and vaccines continue to be effective against severe outcomes. The latest data show that, depending on age, hospitalization rates continue to be 3 to 4 times higher among unvaccinated persons compared to those fully vaccinated, and up to 13 times higher compared to those fully vaccinated with an additional dose.

Canada has seen a 68% decrease in the number of travellers arriving from the United States in February 2022 compared to February 2019, and a 63% decrease among international travellers arriving from all other countries for the same period (pre-pandemic). However, there has been a 102% increase in the number of travellers arriving from the United States in February 2022 compared to February 2021, and a 322% increase among international travellers arriving from all other countries for the same period. Prior to March 2020, all known cases of COVID-19 in Canada were the result of international exposure. The Government of Canada’s international border restrictions in March 2020 were effective in initially reducing the travel-related number of COVID-19 cases as a result of decreased volume of travellers permitted entry, and the number of cases has since fluctuated with the global trend. In February 2021, on-arrival COVID-19 testing was implemented for international travellers arriving into Canada. As of March 10, 2022, the Public Health Agency of Canada has received over 4.33 million test results from travellers arriving into Canada between February 21, 2021, and February 26, 2022, who were tested under this program. With the emergence of the Omicron variant in late November 2021, and its subsequent spread across the globe, test positivity among both partially and non-vaccinated and fully vaccinated travellers increased, peaking at 19.85% and 9.29%, respectively, in the first week of January 2022. Since then, test positivity for both traveller groups has steadily decreased, to 2.67% and 1.42% in the week ending February 26, 2022. Importantly, although test positivity rates have decreased, they remain higher than those prior to the emergence of the Omicron variant. Border measures for fully vaccinated travellers for discretionary and non-essential travel were eased on January 15, 2022, at the same time that mandatory vaccination requirements were introduced for many modes of travel through Transport Canada’s interim order.

The Canada Border Testing Program has detected over 90 000 cases of COVID-19 in arriving international travellers since the program was implemented in February 2021. Every imported case may set off a chain of transmission in Canada. Preventing infected travellers from entering Canada until they have recovered has reduced secondary transmission in Canadian communities. There is some evidence that each infected international traveller passes the virus on to at least one or two other people. As such, the pre-arrival test may have prevented an even larger number of secondary infections since it was implemented. This has been an important component to reduce pressure on Canada’s health care system during successive waves of COVID-19 and to protect Canada’s vulnerable populations. However, as mentioned above, Canada’s high vaccination rates and improving epidemiological situation can support lifting of pre-arrival testing for fully vaccinated travellers at this time. Pre-arrival testing requirements remain in place for unvaccinated travellers in order to protect against the introduction of new variants and the spread of COVID-19 in Canada and to reduce the potential burden on the health care system.

The majority of asylum seekers (excluding claims made at Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada offices) enter Canada via Quebec (4 925 in 2020). The majority of these asylum seekers are irregular asylum seekers apprehended between ports of entry by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (3 189 in 2020). Crossing at irregular entries, such as that located at Roxham Road in the province of Quebec, was banned in March 2020 due to concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. The Government of Canada lifted this ban on November 21, 2021, in order to uphold international and humanitarian obligations. For the month of January 2022, 5 255 irregular asylum seekers were processed by the Canada Border Services Agency and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Although exempt from the requirement, 1.5% had proof of a pre-arrival test result and 29% were fully vaccinated. Irregular asylum seekers continue to give rise to unique public health concerns in the context of COVID-19. While irregular asylum seekers are not more likely to test positive for COVID-19, they are at increased risk of disease spread. Irregular asylum seekers often travel in groups, and even if travelling alone, must be processed first by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and subsequently at their point of entry, often again in groups and over a period of days, increasing the risk of spread of COVID-19 among those claimants in congregate settings. Once processed, asylum claimants are entitled to, and are likely to live in, congregate housing upon entry into Canada. Furthermore, this cohort may have a decreased capacity or ability to seek pre-arrival testing and thus are exempt from the requirement to have a pre-arrival test result. Irregular asylum seekers are required to be tested on arrival and quarantine until they receive negative results. Those with pre-arrival tests are exempt from this requirement.

A certain proportion of travellers will require clinical care. In addition, infected travellers can cause secondary transmission to household members or in the community. If travellers are to continue to enter Canada, it is important to reduce the risk of travellers introducing cases of COVID-19, including new variants of concern, into Canada, as much as possible. Based on current review of international experience with new variants, maintaining measures that leverage the availability of testing technologies, combined with aggressive vaccination programs, are necessary to help further reduce the spread of COVID-19 or introduction and spread of new variants of concern in Canada.

Government of Canada response to COVID-19 pandemic

The Government of Canada’s top priority is the health and safety of Canadians. To limit the introduction and spread of COVID-19 in Canada, the Government of Canada has taken unprecedented action to implement a comprehensive strategy with layers of precautionary measures.

Between February 3, 2020, and February 28, 2022, 76 emergency orders were made under the Quarantine Act to minimize the risk of exposure to COVID-19 in Canada — to reduce the risk of importation from other countries, to repatriate Canadians, and to strengthen measures at the border to reduce the impact of COVID-19 in Canada. Some provinces and territories have implemented their own restrictions. Together, these measures have been effective in significantly reducing the number of travel-related cases.

Changes to international travel restrictions and advice are based on national and international evidence-based risk assessments. The Government of Canada recognizes that entry prohibitions, mandatory quarantine requirements, vaccination programs, and testing protocols place significant burdens on the Canadian economy, Canadians, and their immediate and extended families.

The Government of Canada’s phased approach to easing border measures for fully vaccinated travellers is grounded in meeting specific public health criteria, and based on scientific evidence and the epidemiological situation in Canada and globally. On July 5, 2021, fully vaccinated travellers eligible to enter Canada were granted an exemption from quarantine, subject to meeting the applicable requirements, including providing proof of vaccination. Then, on August 9, 2021, fully vaccinated American citizens and permanent residents arriving from the United States were allowed to enter Canada for optional or discretionary purposes; and as of September 7, 2021, fully vaccinated foreign nationals from all countries were allowed to enter Canada for optional or discretionary purposes and exempted from quarantine, subject to conditions. However, with the November 21, 2021, emergency orders, the Government of Canada shifted border measure restrictions from purpose of travel to vaccination status of the traveller, and introduced additional measures to limit the entry of unvaccinated foreign nationals.

With respect to cruise travel, on May 29, 2020, the Minister of Transport initially announced a prohibition on cruise ships equipped with overnight accommodations and certified to carry more than 100 persons from operating in Canadian waters. On July 15, 2021, the Minister of Transport announced that as of November 1, 2021, the prohibition of cruise ships in Canadian waters would no longer be in effect if operators were able to fully comply with public health requirements. On November 30, 2021, Transport Canada issued the Interim Order Respecting Vessel Restrictions and Vaccination Requirements Due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) (TC IO), which outlined vaccination and testing requirements for passengers and crew, reporting requirements, mandatory COVID-19 management plans and port agreements; these requirements were extended on January 15, 2022, under the TC IO No. 2. The COVID management plans are to include pre-boarding measures; measures to prevent and limit transmission on board; measures to prevent transmission during shore excursions and/or port visits; and preparedness and response measures for suspected/confirmed cases of COVID-19. The port agreements or “ship-to-shore checklists” are signed by cruise operators and port authorities and will describe measures in place shore side to protect public health, including an outbreak response plan. Provincial and local public health authorities are aware of the ship-to-shore checklist, and contact information for public health authorities is included. The TC IO No. 2 was signed on March 31, 2022, and includes additional measures such as pre-embarkation testing for passengers and more detailed testing and reporting requirements.

Vaccines are a critical tool in supporting the resumption of fuller societal functioning and to safely increase immunity. High levels of vaccination coverage are associated with decreases in hospitalizations and deaths (and corresponding decreased strain on critical care resources). Restricting the entry of unvaccinated travellers remains an important strategy for preventing the introduction of new variants and the spread of COVID-19 in Canada and to reduce the potential burden on the health care system. The Government of Canada has worked to align, where appropriate, rules for domestic and international travel, particularly with respect to exemptions, in order to streamline border processes.

Many countries continue to experience COVID-19 transmission and have different levels of vaccination coverage. In November 2021, the Government introduced the Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to COVID-19 in Canada Order (Prohibition of Entry into Canada — Specified Countries), which prohibited entry of foreign national travellers, with limited exceptions, who had, in the prior 14 days, been in a country where, as determined by the Chief Public Health Officer, there was an outbreak or a risk of having an outbreak of the Omicron variant. This Order expired on January 31, 2022. The increased transmission associated with these variants increases the risk of accelerated spread, and there remains the potential for a resurgence of travel-related cases in Canada. As such, a similar power of entry prohibition, exercised at the Minister of Health’s discretion, was incorporated into the Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to COVID-19 in Canada Order (Prohibition of Entry into Canada) in February 2022.

With more transmissible variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 in countries around the world, the Government of Canada continues to take a data-driven, scientific evidence-based, and precautionary approach to its border measures for travellers entering Canada. To minimize the risk of further importation or spread of new variants of concern into the country, the Government of Canada is maintaining some measures to help limit introduction and community transmission of COVID-19 and its variants of concern while recognizing the effectiveness of high levels of vaccination coverage and easing border measures for fully vaccinated travellers.

Implications

Key impacts for travellers entering Canada

Against the backdrop of increasing global vaccination rates, as well as the more stringent domestic travel measures that further limit the introduction and spread of COVID-19, the Government of Canada will maintain the majority of quarantine and testing exemptions from the previous Order for unvaccinated travellers.

As was the case under the previous Order, before entering Canada, all travellers arriving by land, air, and water are generally required to submit information on the countries they were in during the 14 days prior to entry. They are also required to provide accurate contact information and quarantine plans, or only their contact information in the case of certain persons exempted from quarantine. This information, and other mandatory electronic information submissions, must usually be provided to the Minister of Health by the electronic means specified by the Minister, namely ArriveCAN, the official application/web portal for all electronic submissions required under the Order. The requirement for all travellers arriving by land, air, and water to obtain a negative COVID-19 test result pre-arrival, unless otherwise exempt or having a prior positive molecular test taken between 10 and 180 days prior to entry, remains.

Effective 00:01:00 Eastern daylight time on April 1, 2022, the following changes will take place under this Order.

Fully vaccinated travellers who provide information and evidence of their vaccination status as required under the Order are no longer required to provide evidence of a pre-arrival COVID-19 test result. For unvaccinated or partially vaccinated travellers, the requirement to obtain a pre-arrival negative COVID-19 test result, unless otherwise exempt or having a prior positive molecular test taken between 10 and 180 days prior to entry, remains. Once having entered Canada, travellers in general are now only obligated to report a positive COVID-19 test result received from a mandatory molecular COVID-19 test required under the Order, rather than one from any type of COVID-19 test (e.g. RAT and molecular unobserved take-home tests).

With the restart of the cruise ship industry in Canada, the new Order seeks to minimize the risks of importation and further community transmission of COVID-19 associated with this mode of transportation. Extensive work has been done with cruise ship operators and Transport Canada to identify and mitigate areas of higher risk on cruises, including modifications to the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems in isolation suites to prevent circulation of air to other areas of the vessel. With increased vaccine availability, on-board testing and isolation protocols, as well as on-board medical facilities, the new measures are considered an acceptable method by which to control the risk of importing new COVID-19 cases from abroad. The authorized representatives of cruise ships hold obligations under the Quarantine Order, in relation to on-land quarantine and isolation requirements of cruise ship travellers, as do the travellers themselves in a joint effort to protect Canadians. Under a separate authority issued by Transport Canada, cruise travellers must provide the authorized representative with a negative pre-embarkation COVID-19 test result and be fully vaccinated, with limited exceptions. During the voyage, authorized representatives will be required to test symptomatic passengers and crew (rapid antigen tests for symptomatic passengers are used and positive results are confirmed using a molecular test). Positive travellers will be required to isolate on board and close contacts of COVID-19 positive passengers will also be tested.

All COVID-19 positive foreign national cruise ship passengers and those with right of entry into Canada disembarking in Canada must have a suitable isolation plan provided to a quarantine officer by the authorized representative of the cruise ship, before disembarking. The authorized representative of the cruise ship must organize the suitable isolation plan meeting the requirements of a suitable isolation plan under the Order for all travellers required to isolate and any accompanying dependent child or adult who requires their assistance, unless the traveller opts out and arranges a suitable isolation plan for themselves. The plan must include, but is not limited to, the duration of the applicable isolation period for a total of 10 days that began on-board the vessel from the date of the passenger’s COVID-19 positive test result sample, as well as provide private transportation to that suitable place of isolation and daily meals.

The Order will require persons entering aboard a cruise ship who have reasonable grounds to suspect that they have COVID-19, exhibit signs and symptoms of COVID-19, know that they have COVID-19 or test positive for COVID-19 (less than 10 days before or on day of entry), as well as the authorized representative of the cruise ship, to meet certain conditions as detailed in the Order. Notably, symptomatic or COVID-19 positive foreign national travellers will be permitted to disembark at their final scheduled destination in Canada if they isolate upon doing so and so long as, prior to disembarkation, the authorized representative of the cruise ship has organized the suitable isolation place and plan meeting the requirements in the Order for all travellers required to isolate and any accompanying dependent child or adult who requires their assistance by reason of mental or physical limitation, unless the traveller opts out and arranges a suitable isolation plan for themselves. The plan must include the duration of the applicable isolation period for a total of 10 days (that begins either on-board the vessel from the date of the passenger’s COVID-19 positive test result sample or upon disembarkation, if they developed signs or symptoms but did not undergo a test), as well as provide private transportation to that suitable place of isolation and daily meals. This approach recognizes the unique cruise situation where there is oversight and case management of COVID-19 positive individuals in a controlled setting prior to entry into Canada and final debarkation at a Canadian port. Any change in the place of isolation post-disembarkation is subject to the approval of a quarantine officer.

In addition, any person entering Canada aboard a cruise ship after travelling with a person who exhibits signs and symptoms of COVID-19 or who received a positive result for a COVID-19 test, before the expiry of the 14-day period that begins on the day on which that person entered Canada, must, if they disembark, quarantine themselves in a suitable place that meets the conditions set in the Order. Prior to disembarkation, the authorized representative of the cruise ship must organize the suitable quarantine place and plan that meet the requirements in the Order for all travellers required to quarantine and any accompanying dependent child or adult who requires their assistance by reason of mental or physical limitation, unless the traveller opts out and arranges a suitable quarantine plan for themselves. The 14-day quarantine period begins on-board the vessel from the date of the passenger’s most recent exposure to a COVID-19 positive or symptomatic person with whom they travelled.

Foreign national cruise ship passengers who do not otherwise meet the requirements of entry into Canada in the Order may enter Canada only if they remain on board the vessel for the duration of their time in Canada.

Fully vaccinated travellers who arrive at land or air ports of entry will be exempt from on-arrival testing (day 1) if they are entering as part of a cruise excursion and plan to return to the cruise ship following the excursion. As before, travellers entering by water — now including cruise ship passengers — remain exempt from on-arrival testing under the Order.

This Order also includes the following minor amendments:

Effective 00:01:00 Eastern daylight time on April 25, 2022, the following changes will take place under this Order.

The requirement to provide a suitable quarantine plan upon entry will be removed for persons who are fully vaccinated, accompanying unvaccinated children less than 12 years of age, as well as those with a medical contraindication to a vaccine. However, the obligation to provide accurate contact information remains.

In addition to fully vaccinated travellers, unvaccinated children less than 12 years of age who are accompanied by a fully vaccinated parent, step-parent, guardian, or tutor will no longer be required to provide evidence of a pre-arrival COVID-19 test result.

Fully vaccinated travellers who satisfy the requirements for quarantine exemption will also benefit from additional eased measures under the new Order, specifically:

The new Order will be in effect until May 31, 2022, 23:59:59 Eastern daylight time.

Penalties

Failure to comply with this Order and other related measures under the Quarantine Act is an offence under the Act. The maximum penalties are a fine of up to $1,000,000 or imprisonment for three years, or both. Non-compliance is also subject to fines under the federal Contraventions Act.

Consultation

The Government of Canada has engaged provinces and territories to coordinate efforts and implementation plans. In addition, given linkages to departmental mandates and other statutory instruments, there has been consultation across multiple government departments and agencies, including the Canada Border Services Agency; Indigenous Services Canada; Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada; Transport Canada; Public Safety Canada; Health Canada; Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada; Employment and Social Development Canada; Fisheries and Oceans Canada; the Canadian Armed Forces; Canadian Heritage; Justice Canada and Global Affairs Canada. Transport Canada has also engaged with their stakeholders on the cruise season restart and COVID-19 management plans.

Contact

Kimby Barton
Public Health Agency of Canada
Telephone: 613‑960‑6637
Email: kimby.barton@phac-aspc.gc.ca