Vaccinations against the COVID-19 virus will be needed starting in September for all Canadian airline passengers, cruise ship passengers, and rail passengers, as well as for all government workers, according to authorities on Sunday. As part of its planning for execution of these measures, the government said in a press release that it would engage with “important stakeholders,” such as negotiating agents and transportation sector operators.
Canada, possibly more aggressively than the United States to inoculate as many individuals as possible against Covid-19, has already wholly vaccinated 63 percent of its entire population. The government stated Monday that all passengers traveling by air, rail, or cruise ship would be required to be entirely vaccinated by the autumn.
All Plane And Train Passengers In Canada Will Be Required To Get the COVID Vaccine
During a news conference, the transport minister of Canada, Omar Alghabra, said that the new vaccine requirement “includes all commercial passengers, air travelers, on cross border railways, and passengers on big, marine vessels with the overnight accommodations, such as cruise ships.”
According to a statement from the Canadian government, the new policy would go into effect “as soon as feasible in the autumn and no later than the end of October.”
Canada’s flag carrier and biggest airline, Air Canada, issued a statement in favor of the new mandate, calling it a “positive step forward in the developing measures to safeguard the health and safety of airline workers, customers, and the general public in Canada.” At a news conference yesterday, Canadian officials said that they want to “set an example” for other businesses as the nation attempts to securely reopen additional areas of the economy in the coming months. They may also want to set a good example for their southern neighbor by doing so.
The announcements of vaccination mandates for employees by three major U.S. airlines, including Frontier Airlines, United Airlines, and Hawaiian Airlines, have come in the last week or so, as well as Alaska Airlines has hinted that it might follow suit, but only after the (FDA) Food and Drug Administration gives final approval to the shots.
The staff vaccination policies of the other major U.S. airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and JetBlue Airways, have not altered due to the recent spike in Covid-19 cases caused by the delta form the virus, according to a report by the CDC.
In the United States, there is no such vaccine requirement for domestic air travel since airline executives have repeatedly opposed required testing for passengers, much alone forced vaccinations, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
It hopes to have the standards in place by the end of October, at the very least. As the country’s biggest employer, the Canadian government is dedicated to taking a leading role in safeguarding the health and safety of public employees, according to a press release. More than 71 percent of eligible citizens are completely immunized in Canada, and 82 percent have had at least their first vaccination.
According to CBS News, just 59 percent of eligible individuals in the United States have received all of their vaccinations. According to the government, moreover than 6 million eligible individuals in Canada are still unvaccinated, and fewer than 1 percent of COVID-19 cases in Canada have occurred among people who have received all recommended vaccinations.
It follows on the heels of Canada’s decision to reopen its border to fully vaccinated Americans starting on August 9 for shopping, vacationing, and visiting purposes; however, the United States has not responded. Citizens and lawful permanent residents of the United States who want to go to Canada must also test negative for COVID-19 within three days of arriving at the border crossing.