The federal government has quietly lifted its advisory against all non-essential travel abroad that was introduced in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The advisory was lifted on the same day Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unveiled Canada’s international proof of vaccination system.
No announcement was made Thursday regarding the change to the travel advisory.
Instead, the government’s travel advice website now says all international travellers should be fully vaccinated at least 14 days before travelling, and must follow local public health guidelines in the country they are travelling to.
Up until Thursday, the government had advised all travellers to avoid non-essential international travel regardless of their vaccination status.
Advisories for individual countries, which were also suspended during the blanket advisory, have now been restored. Those specific advisories often warn Canadians from travelling to unsafe countries due to local violence and unrest, among other reasons.
Up until the website was quietly changed, the Prime Minister’s Office had advised that no changes to the advisory were expected Thursday.
–With files from Rachel Gilmore
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