441-00497 (Health)

As the country’s largest employer, the Government of Canada is leading by example. Having a fully vaccinated workforce means that not only are worksites safer, so are the communities where this large population lives and works. It also means better protection for Canadians accessing government services in person.

On October 6, 2021, the Treasury Board of Canada announced its Policy on COVID-19 Vaccination for the Core Public Administration Including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

The Policy is compliant with legislation, including the Privacy Act, the Canadian Human Rights Act, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and collective agreements. The Policy provides for addressing requests for accommodation based on any prohibited ground of discrimination as defined under the Canadian Human Rights Act, on a case-by-case basis. On October 21, 2021, the Canadian Human Rights Commission published a guide on vaccination policies and human rights, which states that “Rights are not absolute. […] Requiring that an individual be vaccinated to work or travel is not a discriminatory practice under the Canadian Human Rights Act. Vaccination requirements are not a discriminatory practice because they are intended (and are necessary) to protect public health and safety.”

The Government of Canada requires that all public service employees be fully vaccinated to access federal government facilities. This approach ensures that federal workplaces are kept safe and that employees who work in them are protected.

In support of this policy, the Government also requires any contracted personnel accessing federal government workplaces to be fully vaccinated. This requirement for contracted personnel took effect on November 15, 2021. Any contractor whose personnel must access a federal government workplace is required to certify that the personnel are fully vaccinated. Completed certifications will be kept on file. Monitoring will be performed by organizations receiving the contractor’s services.

The Government of Canada has implemented a multi-layered framework of travel and border measures to protect Canadians by preventing travel from being a source for the spread of COVID-19 and its variants.

Adjustments to Canada’s border measures are made possible by a number of factors, including Canada’s high vaccination rate, the increasing availability and use of rapid tests to detect infection, the decrease in hospitalizations, and the increasing availability of treatment for COVID-19 in Canada.

As with any other element of the Government of Canada’s COVID-19 response, the testing measures required of returning Canadians have been informed by available data, operational considerations, scientific evidence and monitoring of the epidemiological situation across Canada.

As the importation rate of disease at the border has significantly reduced since January 2022, the Government of Canada has reassessed and adjusted its border measures.

Effective April 1, 2022, the Government has removed the requirement for pre-entry testing for fully vaccinated travellers entering Canada. Therefore, fully vaccinated travellers arriving at land, air or marine ports of entry are no longer required to complete a pre-entry test for entry to Canada.

Additionally, effective April 25, 2022, partially and unvaccinated children aged 5-11, who are accompanied by a fully vaccinated parent or guardian, are no longer required to complete a pre-entry COVID-19 test for entry to Canada, but will be subject to mandatory randomized testing on-arrival to Canada. Fully vaccinated travellers, children aged 5-11 (who are accompanied by a fully vaccinated adult), and those with a medical contraindication to COVID-19 vaccination are no longer required to provide quarantine plans when travelling into Canada.

Fully vaccinated travellers are no longer required to:

• monitor and report if they develop signs or symptoms;
• mask while in public spaces;
• quarantine if another traveller in the same travel group exhibits signs or symptoms or tests positive; and,
• maintain a list of close contacts and locations for 14 days after arriving in Canada.

Travellers who do not qualify as fully vaccinated must continue to provide proof of an accepted pre-entry COVID-19 test result, test on arrival and on Day 8 and quarantine for 14 days.

Any easing or modification of the current border restrictions in Canada is done based on the latest scientific evidence and in close consultation with our provincial, territorial and international partners, including industry stakeholders, with the health and safety of Canadians as the first priority.

As vaccination levels and healthcare system capacity improve, the Government of Canada will continue to consider further easing of measures at the borders, and when to lift or adjust those measures to keep people in Canada safe.

The Canadian Armed Forces is committed to maintaining its readiness to deliver on Government of Canada missions at home and around the world.

Protecting the readiness of the Canadian Armed Forces means protecting the health and safety of its members. Therefore, the Chief of the Defence Staff issued directives requiring all Canadian Armed Forces members to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, with the exception of individuals that cannot be fully vaccinated due to a certified medical contraindication, religious grounds, or any other prohibited ground of discrimination as defined in the Canadian Human Rights Act.

COVID-19 vaccination is now included in the minimum standard for vaccination for all operations abroad and for most domestic operations. In addition to the operational requirement, the COVID-19 vaccination is a condition for enrolment into the Canadian Armed Forces.

The Canadian Armed Forces is assessing the role of COVID-19 vaccination requirements as a preventative health measure, taking into consideration the best scientific and medical evidence available, operational considerations, and any risks to the health of its members in a persistent COVID-19 environment. In the meantime, the Chief of Defence directives will remain in effect. We will continue to prioritize the maintenance of a safe working environment, while remaining ready to conduct operations in support of Canadians.