The Canada Border Services Agency will not make exceptions nor apply any exceptions for Indigenous people crossing the border from the US into Canada after the border was re-opened to tourism and non-essential travel earlier this month.
A Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) senior spokesperson Rebecca Purdy said fully vaccinated travellers, arriving by land who are eligible to enter Canada and who comply with specific criteria are not required to quarantine or complete a day-8 test.
“The exemptions for cross border workers and essential services with regards to COVID-19 applied to Canadian citizens, permanent residents and persons registered under the Indian Act equally and remain in place,” she said.
Earlier this month, the federal government put in place a number of measures that must be satisfied before a traveller is allowed into Canada from the United States. The traveller must be fully vaccinated: to be considered fully vaccinated, a traveller must have received the full series of a vaccine “or combination of vaccines” accepted by the Government of Canada at least 14 days prior to entering Canada.
Currently, those vaccines are manufactured by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD, and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson). The traveller must be residing in and travelling from the US; must have a valid pre-arrival COVID-19 molecular test result taken in the US (antigen tests are not accepted); be asymptomatic; submit their mandatory information via ArriveCAN, including proof of vaccination in English or French; be admissible under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act; and, take a test on arrival, if required.
Essential and cross-border workers have been exempt from quarantine and pre- and post-testing in land mode.
Additionally, since July 5, fully vaccinated travellers, arriving by land who are eligible to enter Canada by right and who comply with specific criteria are not required to quarantine or complete a day-8 test. To be eligible for the reduced public health measures, fully vaccinated travellers must have a negative pre-arrival test and must submit a digital proof of vaccination in English or French using ArriveCAN (App or Web portal) within 72 hours before arriving at the border.
The CBSA said that it bears mentioning in the wake of weekend reports about some Quebecers attempting to defraud the vaccination proof system that any attempt to mislead CSBA agents about their vaccination status can be very harshly punished.
A person who submits false information on vaccination status could be liable to a fine of up to $750,000 and/or six months imprisonment, or both, under the Quarantine Act, or prosecution under the Criminal Code for forgery.
Violating any quarantine or isolation instructions provided to travellers by a screening officer or quarantine officer when entering Canada is also an offence under the Quarantine Act and could lead to a $5,000 fine for each day of non-compliance or for each offence committed, or more serious penalties, including six months in prison and/or $750,000 in fines. Non-compliant air travellers may also be subject to fines of up to $5,000 for each offence committed under the Aeronautics Act.