Ottawa plans to extend the sweeping travel ban that bars entry to all travellers who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents, or Americans travelling for reasons deemed essential, for at least another month.
Ottawa plans to extend the sweeping travel ban that bars entry to all travellers who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents, or Americans travelling for reasons deemed essential, for at least another month.
The order, which was set to expire tonight, “has been extended until July 31 for public health reasons,” Rebecca Purdy, spokesperson for the Canada Border Services Agency, said in a statement to CBC News.
The order — one of a set of extraordinary new measures introduced on March 16 to stop the spread of COVID-19 — bans most foreign nationals from entering Canada if they arrive from a foreign country other than the U.S. (There are limited exceptions for air crew, diplomats and immediate family members of citizens. Some seasonal workers, caregivers and international students are also exempt.)
The current Order in Council — a cabinet decision made without having to go to Parliament — was set to expire at 11:59 p.m. ET Tuesday.
The government intends to continue with the blanket ban of foreign nationals from entering Canada at this time, officials confirm, rather than modifying the order to reopen the border to certain countries — for example, those with low infection rates or those allowing Canadian tourists to visit.
A separate order prohibits non-essential travel between Canada and the U.S. and is in effect