Canada reportedly preparing to relax quarantine protocols for vaccinated visitors
There is potentially great news for travelers thinking of visiting Canada this summer as Canadian officials are getting set to announce new, more relaxed border COVID-19 restrictions for people who are fully vaccinated.
Bloomberg is reporting that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau intends to reduce the current 14-day mandatory quarantine period for anyone entering Canada, provided they have had two vaccine doses. Those travelers crossing the Canadian border would still be required to take a COVID test, and a quarantine period would still be necessary, but sources say it would be for a shorter amount of time.
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Currently, anyone entering Canada must quarantine for 14 days upon arrival even if you have been fully vaccinated, tested negative for COVID, and/or show no symptoms.
At the moment, non-essential travel remains forbidden in Canada. Only Canadian citizens, permanent residents, people registered under Canada’s Indian Act, protected persons, select foreign nationals traveling for essential reasons and immediate family members of Canadian citizens or residents are allowed to enter Canada, although there are some exceptions.
Trudeau is expected to make the announcement in the coming days, but it is not yet known when the proposed changes would go into effect. Also on Monday, Politico reported that Canada is looking at June 22 as the date to ease restrictions at the U.S.-Canadian border. That is the day after the long-running pact that limits non-essential travel between the neighboring countries which was put in place at the start of the pandemic is due for its monthly renewal.
Related: What to know about Canada's COVID border restrictions
The prime minister has previously said he would ease Canada's border restrictions when 75% of Canadians had received at least the first dose of the vaccine, and 20% of the population had been fully vaccinated. As of May 29, more than 68 percent of Canadian adults had received at least one dose, while more than 7 percent were fully vaccinated.
It appears the decision to relax the quarantine requirements is due in part to the realization that doing so now would help salvage the summer tourist season. Pressure has been growing on both the Canadian and U.S. governments to ease restrictions that have been in place since March of 2020, which have drastically reduced ground and air traffic between the two nations. That pressure has intensified as vaccination rates continue to rise.
An extension of those restrictions for another month would be especially painful for the Canadian and American tourism industries, since it would restrict movement for the July 1 national holiday in Canada and the July 4 weekend in the states.
Featured Image by: Anna Gorin/Getty Images
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Why We Chose It
It's hard to find a card that competes with the mile-long list of benefits that come with the Amex Business Platinum. While it's certainly not the card for the average consumer, a business owner with tons of expenses -- especially related to travel -- will find this card incredibly valuable. This card is similar to the consumer version that Amex offers, but with more business-oriented perks around statement credits and earning rates that are a better fit for business owners.Pros
- An up to $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee every four to five years
- Up to $400 annual credit for eligible U.S. Dell purchases (enrollment required)
- Gold status at Marriott and Hilton hotels (enrollment required)
- Access to the Fine Hotels & Resorts program and Hotel Collection
- Extended warranty protection
- International Airline Program and Cruise Privileges Program
Cons
- Steep annual fee
- Difficulty meeting $15,000 welcome offer for smaller businesses
- Limited high-bonus categories outside of travel
- The Points Guy Exclusive Offer: Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Platinum Card® within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
- Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com, and 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases.
- Earn 1.5X points (that’s an extra half point per dollar) on eligible purchases at US construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year.
- Unlock over $1,000 in annual statement credits on a curation of business purchases, including select purchases made with Dell Technologies, Indeed, Adobe, and U.S. wireless service providers.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year for checked baggage fees, lounge day passes, and more at one selected airline.
- $189 CLEAR® Credit: Use your Card and get up to $189 back per year on your CLEAR® membership. CLEAR® is available at more than 50 U.S. airports and stadiums.
- The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. With more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more lounge location options than any other credit card on the market as of 9/2021.
- $695 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.