Robyn Skrepnyk says she believed the federal government’s suspension of the domestic and international travel vaccine mandate would eventually allow her to use an $ 800 airline credit for a summer trip abroad. But even after the new rules went into effect Monday, Skrepnyk does not see herself moving too far from her home in Edmonton any time soon. The 14-day quarantine of unvaccinated Canadians must be completed once they re-enter the country, which has proved prohibitive for Skrepnyk’s international escape, she said. While allowed to travel more freely within Canada, Skrepnyk said there are no domestic destinations she would like to fly to. “I may have four weeks off at work, but I can not take three weeks off at a time to go on a week off abroad,” said Skrepnyk, who chose not to be vaccinated. “I’ll just take my vacation, I guess, and stay home and hope to get my money back.” Although experts expect a relaxation of Canada’s travel rules will benefit the domestic tourism sector, they note that continued requirements for unvaccinated Canadians crossing the border could limit their ability to roam abroad. The vaccination order was lifted on Monday for domestic travelers on passenger planes, trains and buses. Employees of airlines and airports subject to federal regulation are also allowed to return to work after being on unpaid leave due to their vaccination status. Unvaccinated Canadians traveling abroad must be quarantined for 14 days upon return. They must also test COVID-19 before their flight, on arrival and on the eighth day of quarantine. The daily self-assessments of COVID-19 must be done through the ArriveCan application and the supervisors can check in via email, phone or visits. Meanwhile, most aliens who have not been hit by piercings remain barred from entering. Marty Firestone, president of travel insurance company Secure, predicted that the regulatory changes would lead to a dramatic increase in domestic travel as a wave of unvaccinated Canadians try to explore their country. While this is good news for the pandemic-stricken Canadian tourism industry, this new section of eligible pilots could exacerbate the airport crash, Firestone said. He is concerned that the requirements of quarantine and testing are sure to create complications and create long queues at customs. “I think it will confuse things even more,” he said. “They did a strange thing that allowed you to leave unharmed, but no change in returning. “This will be a nightmare waiting to happen.” Government officials have repeatedly stated that the COVID-19 restrictions are not responsible for airport congestion and flight delays, insisting that any revisions were made in the public interest and not for ease of movement. “While the suspension of domestic vaccine orders reflects an improved public health situation in Canada, the COVID-19 virus continues to evolve and circulate in Canada and worldwide,” said Tammy J, a spokeswoman for Canada’s Public Health Service. “Given this context, and because vaccination rates and virus control in other countries vary considerably, current border vaccination requirements remain in place.” Unvaccinated travelers should also be aware of border restrictions at their destination, said Richard Vanderlubbe, CEO of Tripcentral.ca. Entry requirements for unvaccinated visitors, such as the mandatory test for COVID-19, in other countries are often complex and subject to change over a short period of time, Vanderlubbe said. He said his company has devoted much of its marketing budget to informing customers about these rules. However, for the foreseeable future, Vanderlubbe said, it may be wise to choose the most flexible option when making travel arrangements, rather than defrauding the lower fare. “It should be a more thoughtful market perhaps than it used to be,” he said. “But certainly for vaccinated Canadians, nothing has changed. And for unvaccinated Canadians, there are more options.” This Canadian Press report was first published on June 21, 2022.
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