Earlier this month Canadians with travel plans to Portugal were confused and dismayed when the Portuguese authorities quietly removed Canada from its list of approved countries for non-essential travel.

Those rules instituted by Portugal earlier this month followed a Jan. 17 recommendation by the European Union to reinstate travel restrictions on Argentina, Australia and Canada due to increasing COVID-19 infections. The recommendations were not binding – individual countries could make their own rules.

As reported by the Toronto Star, Canadians were unable to get definitive answers on their travel plans from either the airlines or local Portuguese authorities. Some travellers were so unsettled they cancelled travel plans – others did travel – apparently without incident.

Meanwhile on Monday, Canada’s embassy in Lisbon posted on Facebook that, “The Government of Portugal has lifted its earlier restrictions and is once again allowing non-essential travel from Canada to Portugal.

“Entry requirements remain in place, so make sure you are up to date with any local rules: http://ow.ly/Cc4350I0rvG”

Portugal is one of the most vaccinated countries in the world, with 90 percent of its population fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

82 percent of Canadians are fully vaccinated.

In one of those curious decisions, non-essential travel from the US to Portugal was not restricted. Just 64 percent of Americans are fully vaccinated.