The US Will Soon Lift Its Vaccine Requirements For Canadian Travellers
Proof of COVID-19 shot will no longer be necessary.
Cars lined up at the Port Huron–Sarnia Border Crossing.
The United States is planning to lift pandemic restrictions for international air travellers and Canadians crossing the land border.
Visitors will no longer need to be vaccinated or show proof of COVID-19 vaccination as of May 12, 2023, the day after the public health emergency ends south of the border.
While the requirement for people arriving in the U.S. by air to test negative for COVID-19 was dropped by the Biden administration last June, vaccination requirements were still in place for most foreign travellers. The health measures have now been deemed no longer necessary.
"While vaccination remains one of the most important tools in advancing the health and safety [… ] we are now in a different phase of our response," according to a May 1 White House statement.
The decision to lift the requirements was welcomed by many.
"After three years of restrictions, we can finally reunite families, return to pre-pandemic cross-border travel and continue rebuilding our deeply connected economies," tweeted Congressman Brian Higgins.
Canada has not required proof of COVID-19 vaccination for air or land border travellers since last October, and the United States has been striving to match Canada's policy
With vaccination campaigns across the world gaining momentum, it is expected that more countries will soon follow suit and lift their travel restrictions, bringing life back to some degree of normalcy.