Gozit

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/hot...tine-1.6058930

Revin Kevin

Best covid news I've heard in a long time!

OrangeMango

It's certainly good news and am movement in the right direction, but I don't know what it's really going to be like? - the usual small print.

I'd expect it's going to be something like entering Alberta used to be under the first Covid 19 restrictions. A test at the airport and self isolation until the negative result comes back, either by text message on your phone or e-mail to your e-mail address provided. At maximum with a negative result, one would have to self isolate for 48 hours max?

And then, what kind of vaccination certificate will be accepted?

By July 26th, I will have received the 2nd shot of the Pfizer vaccine and have that documented in my yellow international vaccination certificate. I would then have to wait 2 to 3 weeks for the full effect of the vaccine to kick in? However the yellow international vaccination certificate is nothing "digital" and I am sure, the authorities will want something digital, rather than a signature and a stamp by a doctor of a foreign country.....

Politicians and authorities tend to love apps and QR codes. I am sure there will be something similar.

Gozit

I'm holding out for the date the new rules will come into place - frustrating that but maybe this week we will have info with the looming 21 June expiry of the order-in-council for the current quarantine measures.

Malta will issue me with a national vaccine "digital certificate" with QR code, as well as the EU Digital Green Certificate starting 1st July. I'm assuming the Canadian government will accept the latter without issue.

Former Lancastrian

Nobody knows what certain Govt's will or will not accept as proof of vaccine. Also Govt's have to be aware that not all travellers carry a cell/smart phone so will be unable to use apps like ArriveCan or even present a QR code.

OrangeMango

Similar situation here. Looking forward to not being treated as a "Persona non Grata" in my own country Canada when returning anymore. Welcome back to Canada culture !

The thing is that EU country I am getting vaccinated in, is also registering my Covid 19 shots in a centralized database. Even if I didn't have the yellow and international WHO vaccination certificate with me, I couldn't really lie about it. Together with the yellow vaccination certificate, I'd be able to get another certificate in a pharmacy of that EU country, 2 weeks after having received the last shot, but don't know if that includes a QR code or is just an official statement. It's in there, done and recorded there is no debating and hiding it. However politicians, bureaucrats and law makers often have different ideas. Giving authorities access to that database would be the most convenient, however that one won't work due to data protection laws. It's quite possible that Canadian lawmakers will insist on a QR code, they can be quite stubborn recently.

I don't know why they are so "app crazy" all the time, or whether I could still enter my beloved Canada without a cell phone, - don't even know if I could buy one in Europe which works on a Canadian network.

Gozit

The Maltese certificate and the EU one can be printed and does not require a cell phone

Former Lancastrian

But the ArriveCan app requires that you need one. As far as I am concerned a smart/cell phone is not a legal requirement to enter Canada so lets see how they deal with this.

Atlantic Xpat

Most cellphones these days will roam from Europe into North America and back again with no problems.

OrangeMango

That's exactly the problem, "most cellphones". But which ones, and which ones not?

I am certainly not buying one, just for the sake of entering Canada and then to discover that it doesn't work in Canada.

Also, roaming is not of interest, as I'll be living in Canada, not in Europe. Thus I am only looking for a Canadian contract, and only buy one in Europe if it's not locked and connectivity in Canada is technically possible.

scrubbedexpat091

I know Vancouver airport has complimentary wifi so even if you don't have cell service on arriving in Canada, presumably the app would work if connected to wifi?

But in general I hate apps, because not everyone has a smart phone, some people share their phone with a spouse of family member, not giving alternatives to an app is poor decision making on any government.

BC vaccine record proof is all over the place, why they didn't come up with one uniform proof of vaccine for the whole province, boggles the mind.

OrangeMango

The devil will be in the detail or in the small print and that one we don't know yet. Only the elimination of quarantine for vaccinated Canadians returning would be the only positive and big advantage.

From a pure IT perspective, you can run the app on your laptop computer, if you are running an Android emulation. It's complicated, or not, depending on your IT skills, but one could do it. You just have to power up the Laptop PC or have it on standby / hibernation mode while waiting in line to see a CBSA agent. Thus, running the Arrive Canada App doesn't make a cell phone mandatory. You might be the only passenger doing so, and anything out of the ordinary makes any bureaucrat uneasy and lawmakers will automatically assume "App means cellphone" when they pass the law. WiFi connectivity is not mandatory for the app to work, while presenting the device to the CBSA agent, - as far as I know.

What I am guessing is that there will always be a print version, one can print and present upon entry into Canada. There will also be some kind of reference number where the CBSA agent can locate this record.

Gozit

I'm pretty sure you can fill in arrivecan from a computer beforehand and print it off

OrangeMango

I'd say the same.

The main thing is that the quarantine for vaccinated Canadians will be gone.

What I also expect to happen is that not every vaccine will be accepted to skip quarantine. Biontech/Pfizer and Moderna will be pretty safe choices. The Russian or the Chinese vaccine, I'd say won't. Astra Zeneca and Johnson& Johnson, not sure.

Siouxie

If no computer/internet access see: see also Q8 - restrictions..

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