Senior Voice -

On April Fool’s Day, no kidding, Canada will drop the requirement that travelers entering Canada either through airports or land borders prove they have a pre-arrival COVID-19 test result. But only for those fully vaccinated.

This is a big sigh of relief for Alaskans whose towns and villages are so close to the international border that residents can only access a road out through Canada or for whom a Canadian city is the closest place to shop, go to for medical services.

But wait, there might be a catch. Travelers arriving to Canada from any country, who qualify as fully vaccinated, may need to take a COVID-19 molecular test on arrival if selected for mandatory random testing, according to a March 17, 2022 press release from the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Travelers selected for mandatory random testing are not required to quarantine while awaiting their test result.

For partially or unvaccinated travelers who are currently allowed to travel to Canada, pre-entry testing requirements are not changing. Unless otherwise exempt, all travelers five years of age or older who do not qualify as fully vaccinated must continue to provide proof of an accepted type of pre-entry COVID-19 test result:

a valid negative antigen test, administered or observed by an accredited lab or testing provider, taken outside of Canada no more than one day before their initially scheduled flight departure time or their arrival at the land border or marine port of entry; or

a valid negative molecular test taken no more than 72 hours before their initially scheduled flight departure time or their arrival at the land border or marine port of entry; or

a previous positive molecular test taken at least 10 calendar days and no more than 180 calendar days before their initially scheduled flight departure time or their arrival at the land border or marine port of entry. It is important to note that positive antigen test results will not be accepted.

All travelers continue to be required to submit their mandatory information in ArriveCAN (free mobile app or website) before arriving in Canada. Travelers who arrive without completing their ArriveCAN submission may have to test on arrival and quarantine for 14 days, regardless of their vaccination status. Travelers taking a cruise or a plane must submit their information in ArriveCAN within 72 hours before boarding.