441-00264 (Health)

Protecting the readiness of the Canadian Armed Forces means protecting the health and safety of its members. Therefore, National Defence is committed to a healthy and safe workforce to ensure the readiness of the Defence Team to support operations at home and abroad.

In accordance with Government of Canada policies, the Chief of the Defence Staff issued directives mandating COVID-19 vaccines for all Canadian Armed Forces members. COVID-19 vaccination is now included in the minimum standard for vaccination for all operations abroad and for most domestic operations. In addition to the operational requirement, COVID-19 vaccination is a condition for enrolment into the Canadian Armed Forces. Currently, the Canadian Armed Forces has a 98% vaccination rate.

The Canadian Armed Forces will continue to follow Government of Canada policies to protect the health and safety of its members and of the broader Canadian population.

As the country’s largest employer, the Government of Canada is leading by example. Having a fully vaccinated workforce means that not only are worksites safer, so are the communities where this large population lives and works. It also means better protection for Canadians accessing government services in person.

On October 6, 2021, the Treasury Board of Canada announced its Policy on COVID-19 Vaccination for the Core Public Administration Including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The Policy is compliant with legislation, including the Privacy Act, the Canadian Human Rights Act, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and collective agreements. The Policy provides for addressing requests for accommodation based on any prohibited ground of discrimination as defined under the Canadian Human Rights Act, on a case-by-case basis.

On October 21, 2021, the Canadian Human Rights Commission published a guide on vaccination policies and human rights, which states that “Rights are not absolute. […] Requiring that an individual be vaccinated to work or travel is not a discriminatory practice under the Canadian Human Rights Act. Vaccination requirements are not a discriminatory practice because they are intended (and are necessary) to protect public health and safety.”

The Government of Canada has implemented a multi-layered framework of travel and border measures to protect Canadians by preventing travel from being a source for the spread of COVID-19 and its variants.

Adjustments to Canada’s border measures are made possible by a number of factors, including Canada’s high vaccination rate, the increasing availability and use of rapid tests to detect infection, the decrease in hospitalizations, and the increasing availability of treatment for COVID-19 in Canada.

As with any other element of the Government of Canada’s COVID-19 response, the testing measures required of returning Canadians have been informed by available data, operational considerations, scientific evidence and monitoring of the epidemiological situation across Canada.

Data available in February 2022 indicated that the latest wave of COVID-19 has passed its peak in Canada, and the importation rate of disease at the border has also significantly reduced since January 2022. As a result, the Government of Canada has reassessed and adjusted its border measures.

Effective April 1, 2022, the Government has removed the requirement for pre-entry testing for fully vaccinated travellers entering Canada. Therefore, fully vaccinated travellers arriving at land, air or marine ports of entry are no longer required to complete a pre-entry test for entry to Canada. Travellers who do not qualify as fully vaccinated must continue to provide proof of an accepted pre-entry COVID-19 test result.

Any easing or modification of the current border restrictions in Canada is done based on the latest scientific evidence and in close consultation with our provincial, territorial and international partners, including industry stakeholders, with the health and safety of Canadians as the first priority.

As vaccination levels and healthcare system capacity improve, the Government of Canada will continue to consider further easing of measures at the borders, and when to lift or adjust those measures to keep people in Canada safe.

The Government of Canada requires that all public service employees be fully vaccinated to access federal government facilities. This approach ensures that federal workplaces are kept safe and that employees who work in them are protected.

In support of this policy, the Government also requires any contracted personnel accessing federal government workplaces to be fully vaccinated. This requirement for contracted personnel took effect on November 15, 2021. Any contractor whose personnel must access a federal government workplace is required to certify that the personnel are fully vaccinated. Completed certifications will be kept on file. Monitoring will be performed by organizations receiving the contractor’s services.