Federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates to be suspended for domestic, outbound travellers

Transport Minister Omar Alghabra says the Canadian government will suspend COVID-19 vaccine mandates for domestic and outbound international travellers and federally regulated workers.

The new rules will come into effect on June 20, though the requirements for foreign nationals coming to Canada will not change.

Intergovernmental affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc warns the government is prepared to “bring back” necessary policies if there’s a resurgence of the virus in the fall.

Travel industry groups have blamed federal public health measures and mandates for slowdowns at airport customs that have contributed to long waits for passengers and forced flight delays and cancellations.

LeBlanc says the decision to drop the federal mandate is not a response to the situation at Canada’s airports but rather is “based on science.”

The change will also affect federal workers who have been put on unpaid leave because of their vaccination status.