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home / diseases & conditions / coronavirus

provincial travel rules: maybe just stay home

thinking about travelling across canada? know that most provinces require 14 days of isolation.

by emma jones
published jul 31, 2020
read time 3 minute read
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read time 3 minute read
join the conversation
what you need to know about travelling canada during covid
pay attention to travel restrictions or you may be vacationing in p.e.i. in isolation. stock/getty ineb1599 / istock / getty images plus
international travel is highly discouraged during the era of covid-19 — even major league sports teams are impacted by these restrictions. instead of visiting a california beach or backpacking through iceland, many canadians are taking their summer vacations at home.
before hitting the road to a vast and distant other province, however, do you know what the travel restrictions and safety precautions are for your destination? 

must self-isolate before travel

nunavut

non-resident entry to nunavut is heavily restricted.
non-resident entry to nunavut is heavily restricted. nicolas tolstoÏ / istock / getty images plus
nunavut has developed a common travel area, consisting of the northwest territories and churchill, manitoba. residents who have not left these areas in the past two weeks are allowed to enter nunavut without self-isolating.non-resident entry to nunavut is heavily restricted. would-be visitors to nunavut must submit an isolation reservation request form to the chief public health officer. if approved, travellers are required to self-isolate for 14 days in ottawa, winnipeg, edmonton, or yellowknife. after the self-isolation period, the individual will be provided with a clearance letter and will be allowed to enter nunavut.more information can be found on the government of nunavut’s website. 

must self-isolate upon arrival

northwest territories

visitors arriving in nwt must self-isolate in one of the larger communities, such as yellowknife.
visitors arriving in nwt must self-isolate in one of the larger communities, such as yellowknife. ti1993 / istock / getty images plus

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more people becoming 'careless' with covid-19 precautions, health unit warns
best way to prevent the spread of covid-19 continues to be following basic public health measures, said theresa marentette, ceo of the windsor-essex county health unit. covid-19 can spread in two ways, ahmed said. days like last friday with more than 50 new confirmed cases of covid-19, public health nurses and other health unit staff have roughly 300 additional phone calls to make to close contacts because individuals are coming in contact with more people than they did earlier in the pandemic.the health unit contacts nearly all positive cases within 24 hours of receiving the lab results, ahmed said. five per cent of local cases became sick while out of the country, while the cause or causes of how nearly 15 per cent of people were exposed to covid-19 is unknown.marentette reported on tuesday an additional 24 cases of covid-19 in the region. the remaining four cases are still under investigation by public health staff.since the pandemic began, 2,245 residents of windsor-essex have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. the health status of 48 confirmed cases is still under investigation by the health unit. the health unit continues to monitor active outbreaks at 11 additional workplaces in the region.
medical officer of health dr. wajid ahmed explains case and contact management during the windsor-essex county health unit's daily covid-19 online news conference on tuesday, july 28, 2020.
story continues below
non-resident entry to the northwest territories (nwt) is heavily restricted. visitors arriving in nwt must submit a self-isolation plan two weeks before they intend to travel and have it approved. the self-isolation form is available here and asks for information such as who the visitor will be self-isolating with, travel itinerary, et cetera.to protect small communities, nwt has mandated that travellers can only complete their self-isolation in yellowknife, inuvik, hay river or fort smith.once visitors have arrived in nwt, they must update the government on their self-isolation by reporting symptoms to protect nwt on the 2nd, 6th, 10th and 14th days of isolation.more information is available here.

yukon

before hiking to the emerald lake, yukon, travellers must self-isolate for 14 days.
before hiking to the emerald lake, yukon, travellers must self-isolate for 14 days. lee hon bong / istock / getty images plus
travellers who arrive in the yukon must self-isolate upon arrival for 14 days. residents of the three territories and british columbia do not have to self-isolate upon arrival if they have not travelled outside of these regions.find more information here. 

the atlantic bubble

peggy’s cove, nova scotia, is part of the atlantic province bubble.
peggy’s cove, nova scotia, is part of the atlantic province bubble. flicketti / istock / getty images plus
starting on july 3rd, anyone residing in the atlantic provinces — p.e.i., nova scotia, new brunswick, newfoundland & labrador — are allowed to move freely between these regions, according to the government of p.e.i.’s website. at the border, residents must provide id and proof of address to be permitted in. admittance rules for travellers coming from outside of the atlantic bubble, however, vary by province.

newfoundland & labrador

only residents of the atlantic bubble are currently allowed entry to newfoundland — even if non-residents travellers have quarantined for 14 days in another atlantic province.non-residents who have to enter the province — including for family emergencies, job relocation, and transportation of non-essential goods —  must apply for an exemption before they travel, and self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival. approval for an exemption may take up to seven business days, so it is important to apply early. this restriction applies even for non-residents who have been part of the atlantic bubble for 14 days.read the latest guidelines here.

p.e.i., nova scotia, and new brunswick

travellers from non-atlantic provinces must apply for approval to enter the province and plan for a 14-day self-isolation once they arrive. once the self-isolation is complete, visitors may travel to the other atlantic provinces (with the exception of newfoundland & labrador) without needing to self-isolate again. proof that applicants have been in the atlantic region for at least 14 days and pre-travel registration is required to travel to other provinces.pre-travel approval can take two to seven business days depending on the province, so apply early. unnecessary travel to p.e.i. and new brunswick is limited and peace officers at border checkpoints are authorized to turn away visitors. necessary travel includes funerals and family emergencies, property owners, and work-related duties.for more information, see the following guidelines for nova scotia, new brunswick and p.e.i. 

manitoba

visitors to manitoba are asked to self-isolate for 14 days.
visitors to manitoba are asked to self-isolate for 14 days. olgaradzikh / istock / getty images
story continues below
those visiting manitoba are asked to self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival. access to northern communities may also be restricted, so check before you go. 

no formal restrictions

quebec, ontario, alberta, saskatchewan and british columbia

quebec city, pictured here, does not have any self-isolation requirements before visiting.
quebec city, pictured here, does not have any self-isolation requirements before visiting. flicketti / istock / getty images plus
there are no formal restrictions or isolation measures in place for travellers coming from other provinces, however, non-essential travel is discouraged. for more information, check out the provincial websites for ontario, quebec, british columbia, saskatchewan and alberta. emjones@postmedia.com | @jonesyjourndon’t miss the latest on covid-19, reopening and life. subscribe to healthing’s daily newsletter coming out of covid.

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