The federal government has announced that extended family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be allowed to enter the country starting next week.
The new regulations for extended family will begin on October 8, however, anyone choosing to enter Canada will be required to follow quarantine rules and get authorization.
The government says that the new rules will apply to people in an exclusive relationship for at least one year as well as their dependent children. The regulations will also extend to adult children, parents, grandparents and siblings.
Currently, anyone arriving into Canada must observe a mandatory 14-day quarantine period.
The federal government highlights in a statement that “travellers should not make any travel plans until they have met all requirements and obtained all necessary authorizations to qualify to come to Canada under the new rules.”
The federal government says that more information about who will qualify to come to Canada will be available next week, but there will be an application process and travellers will need to be issued a travel authorization before entering the country.
Beginning later in the month on October 20, international students will also be allowed to enter Canada if they observe quarantine rules and their school has a provincially-approved COVID-19 plan.
Canada first closed its borders to all except a shortlist of essential workers in the spring at the onset of the pandemic in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19.
After an outcry, they opened the gates a crack to immediate family members of citizens and permanent residents, but many other family members were left off the list of exemptions.
Trudeau said Friday the COVID-19 landscape has changed in the months since the pandemic first took hold in Canada.
Community transmission is by far the biggest challenge and cases imported from outside the country are a tiny fraction of the total, he said.
The smaller fraction of cases being caused by outside travellers played a factor in the government deciding to further relax the border rules.
The Canadian government feels there are people, who have been kept away from loved ones, that could be let in without endangering public safety.
“We can always look at ways to improve our measures while keeping Canadians safe and do a better job of understanding the heart-wrenching stories of families divided,” Trudeau said.
Additionally, there will be exemptions for foreign nationals on compassionate grounds, such as terminal illness or end of life.
Public Safety Minister Bill Blair also adds the government intends to increase screening measures at the border as well.
Graham Cox
