SARS/Cov2/Covid-19/Wuhan Virus UPDATE:
Upon arrival in Canada
Travellers entering Canada by air or by land must:
- provide basic information using the traveller contact information form, available through:
- the ArriveCAN mobile app
- an accessible web-based form, or
- a paper form
- undergo a screening by a border services officer or quarantine officer to assess symptoms
Travellers: Download the ArriveCAN app OR go to following link: https://arrivecan.cbsa-asfc.cloud-nuage.canada.ca/privacy
Use this mobile app/link to speed up your arrival process in Canada and spend less time with border and public health officers. Submit your information easily and securely via the app within 48 hours before arriving in Canada. The app helps you to:
- provide mandatory information that is required for entry into Canada
- avoid lineups and reduce points of contact at the border
- provide updates on your quarantine compliance and the development of any symptoms during the 14 days after arriving in Canada
Travellers without symptoms: mandatory quarantine
If you’ve recently returned to Canada and you have no signs or symptoms of COVID-19, you must quarantine for 14 days (starting from the date you arrived in Canada). This is mandatory. You’re still at risk of developing symptoms and infecting others.
- You must quarantine in a place where you won’t have contact with people who:
- are 65 years or older
- have underlying medical conditions
- have a compromised immune system
- You’ll need to confirm you have a suitable place to quarantine, with access to water, food and medication.
- You must wear a non-medical mask or face covering while travelling to the place you’ll quarantine unless you’re in a private vehicle.
If you don’t have a suitable place to quarantine, you may be transferred to a designated facility where you must quarantine for 14 days.
In addition to the above, mandatory quarantine means you must:
- go directly to your place of quarantine, without stopping anywhere, and stay there for 14 days
- not leave your place of quarantine unless it’s to seek medical assistance
- not have guests even if you’re outside and stay 2 metres apart from them
- only use private outdoor spaces if you have one at your place of quarantine
- minimize contact with anyone who didn’t travel with you
- monitor your health for symptoms of COVID-19
If you develop symptoms of COVID-19 within your 14-day quarantine period:
- isolate yourself from others immediately
- contact your local public health authority and follow their instructions
- extend your quarantine to 14 days from the day your symptoms developed
Travellers with symptoms: mandatory isolation
Although Canadians or permanent residents with symptoms of COVID-19 aren’t prohibited from entering Canada, you shouldn’t travel if you’re sick. Existing measures may restrict you from boarding any commercial mode of transport to, and within, Canada.
If you need it, immediate medical attention will be provided to you when you arrive in Canada.
If you’re allowed to enter Canada and have signs and symptoms of COVID-19, you must isolate for 14 days without delay (starting from the date you arrive in Canada). This is mandatory.
- You must isolate in a place where you won’t have contact with people who:
- are 65 years or older
- have underlying medical conditions
- have compromised immune systems
- You’ll need to confirm you have a suitable place to isolate where you have access to water, food and medication.
- You must use private transportation (such as your own vehicle) to get to your place of isolation.
- You must wear a non-medical mask or face covering while travelling to your place of isolation.
If upon arrival you don’t have private transportation or a suitable place to isolate, you may be transferred to a federally designated facility.
In addition to the above, mandatory isolation means you must:
- go directly to your place of isolation without stopping anywhere and stay there for 14 days
- not leave your place of isolation unless it’s to seek medical attention
- not go outside, including a private outdoor space if you have one at your place of isolation (such as a backyard or balcony)
- not have any guests
- avoid contact with anyone who didn’t travel with you
- regularly clean any common areas after use
- monitor your health
If your symptoms get worse during your isolation period:
- contact your local public health authority
- follow their instructions
Compliance and enforcement of the Quarantine Act
The Government of Canada is working with federal and provincial partners to promote awareness of the emergency order and how to comply with its requirements.
When entering Canada, you’ll be:
- asked if you have a cough, fever or difficulty breathing
- required to acknowledge that you must:
- quarantine for 14 days if you don’t have symptoms or
- isolate for 14 days if you have symptoms of COVID-19
- asked if you have a suitable place to isolate or quarantine, where:
- you’ll have access to water, food and medication
- you won’t have contact with people at high risk of severe illness from COVID-19
- given instructions about what you must do under the emergency order
Violating any instructions provided to you when you entered Canada is an offence under the Quarantine Act and could lead to up to:
- 6 months in prison and/or
- $750,000 in fines
If you choose to break your mandatory quarantine or isolation, resulting in the death or serious bodily harm of another person, you could face:
- a fine of up to $1,000,000 or
- imprisonment of up to 3 years or
- both
The Contraventions Act has been changed to give police (including the RCMP, provincial and local police) more power to enforce the Quarantine Act. They can now issue tickets to people who don’t comply with the act. Fines range from $275 to $1,000.
The ArriveCAN mobile application (iOS, Android or web format) may be used by travellers to:
- validate their 14-day quarantine or isolation plan
- support their compliance with the Quarantine Act
Exemptions to travel restrictions
The continued global movement of goods and people and the ongoing delivery of essential services will be important for Canada’s response to COVID-19.
Several categories of people are exempted from this order because they provide critical services, if they have no symptoms. These include people who:
- are making necessary medical deliveries required for patient care, such as:
- cells
- organs
- tissues
- blood and blood products
- other similar lifesaving human body parts
- work in the trade and transportation sector who are important for the movement of goods and people, including:
- truck drivers
- crew on any plane, train or marine vessel
- cross the border regularly to go to work, including in the health care sector or critical infrastructure workers
- have to cross the border to provide or receive essential services, including emergency responders and personnel providing essential services to Canadians related to the COVID-19 outbreak
Workers in these sectors should:
- practise physical (social) distancing (maintain a distance of 2 metres from others)
- closely self-monitor
Should they exhibit any symptoms, they must isolate and contact their local public health authority.
Employers in these sectors should:
- conduct active daily monitoring of their staff for COVID-19 symptoms (checking for cough, fever or shortness of breath)
- use the risk-informed decision-making guidelines for workplaces/businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic
Check if you have been exposed
Have you been on a recent flight, cruise, train, or at a public gathering? Check the listed exposure locations to see if you may have been exposed to COVID-19.
Non-medical masks or face coverings while travelling on public transportation
All air travellers, with some exceptions, are required to wear a non-medical mask or face covering while travelling.
The following people should not wear a mask:
- children under 2 years old
- people who have trouble breathing
- people who are unable to remove the mask without assistance
In all other modes of federally regulated transportation, operators may require travellers to wear a non-medical mask or face covering whenever possible. This may be the case when interacting with others, and when they cannot maintain a distance of 2 metres.
Before you travel, check for updates to see how transportation measures affect your plans and what you need to pack.