Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government is aiming to allow fully vaccinated U.S. citizens and permanent residents into Canada by mid-August.
Trudeau also says he told the premiers by phone that if the current vaccination rate remains on its current trajectory, fully vaccinated travellers from around the world could be arriving by early September.
The Prime Minister’s Office broke the news in a readout from today’s COVID-19 call with the premiers and Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc.
Trudeau told the premiers that Canada is leading the G20 in vaccination rates: 80 per cent of eligible Canadians have had a first dose and more than half are fully vaccinated.
Pressure has been mounting on the federal government to continue to ease the restrictions at the border, which have been in effect since March of last year.
The process has already begun: last week, the Canada Border Services Agency began exempting fully vaccinated Canadian citizens and permanent residents from a 14-day quarantine requirement.
(The Canadian Press)