Minister of Health Patty Hajdu announced this week that all nonessential travelers, including tourists who are not citizens or permanent residents of Canada, will continue to be barred from entry to the country for the foreseeable future.

In a small concession to continuing pressure to reopen the border, as of a yet-unspecified date in July, fully vaccinated Canadian citizens and permanent residents who return from abroad by air will no longer have to endure a14-day hotel quarantine, but may instead isolate at home until they receive a negative COVID-19 test result.

Inbound foreign essential travelers and Canadians who are not fully vaccinated will still have to produce a negative test result prior to boarding a flight to Canada, and also undego hotel quarantine for 14 days.

Currently only about 7% of Canadian adults are fully vaccinated.

Commenting on possible reopening of the US border, Ms. Hajdu said:

"It is better now to be slow and cautious, to use the best science and evidence, to be careful in our approach, so that we can have a sustained success."