Quarantine for Canadian kids after travel to be removed on Feb. 28

Current federal restrictions for Canadians travelling internationally include a mandatory 14-day quarantine for kids who aren’t adequately vaccinated. This travel restriction, on top of the fact that the government of Canada advises against non-essential travel altogether, is a major deterrent to travel for families with kids under the age of five, who aren’t yet eligible for shots.

Today, Federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos announced that the quarantine for kids under 12 will be dropped as of Feb. 28, as is the travel advisory. The measure will be replaced with an antigen (rapid) test, which will be required before children can return to school and other organized group activities. In addition, PCR tests for fully vaccinated Canadians returning to the country are also being replaced with a rapid test, though it must be administered at a lab or health care facility, not at home.

Duclos recently said that “the worst of the Omicron wave is behind us.”

“All measures are subject to re-evaluation. It’s important to note that if the epidemiological situation continues to improve, if hospitalizations continue to diminish and Canadians continue to get their booster shots, further easing of travel restrictions could be considered in the coming weeks.”

—Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos

This article was originally published at 11:48 a.m. and updated at 2:45 p.m.

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