COVID test no longer needed for travellers Friday

OTTAWA - Vaccinated travellers will no longer need a COVID-19 test to enter Canada as of Friday.

The change is a departure from Canada's policy since the early days of the pandemic, and the struggling tourism industry describes it as a major boon.

Travel agents say they've seen a surge in demand for flights since the change was announced two weeks ago.

Domestic tourism groups also report a big bump in bookings over the last few weeks.

While no test will be required after April 1 for people who are considered fully vaccinated, Health Canada still requires that anyone arriving from outside the country wear a mask in public for two weeks.

The rules for unvaccinated Canadians and other travellers who are exempt from the vaccine requirement remain unchanged, and those people will still need to provide a negative test, or evidence enough time has passed after an infection, to enter the country.