Canada plans to relax Covid travel restrictions. It announced on Monday that it will begin easing travel restrictions in and out of the country. The restrictions have been in place since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
This must come as good news for this fall’s organizers of the Toronto Film Festival.
The organizers have been planning the international event but they weren’t sure whether anyone from outside the country would be able to attend.
Today, the Canadian government stated that fully vaccinated US citizens will be permitted to enter the country starting from 12:01 a.m. on August 9.
The travelers will not need to undergo a two-week quarantine, as required by current regulations.
Beginning September 7, the Canadian borders will be open to other fully vaccinated travelers.
This year’s Toronto Film Festival will take place from September 9 to 18.
If you’re an international visitor, you’ll have to present proof of immunization at least two weeks prior to your arrival.
If you don’t, you’ll be required to be quarantined.
The vaccine you received must be approved for use in Canada. Currently, Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, or Johnson & Johnson are on the list.
Although the easing of limitations is contingent on further progress in combating the virus, the September 7 date comes two days before the kickoff for this year’s TIFF, the tastemaker fall festival.
The organizers of the festival were already planning a hybrid in-person/virtual event for its 46th edition this year.
Since March 2020 when Covid took hold, non-essential border crossings between the United States and Canada have been restricted.
This year’s festival is expected to announce its Gala and Special Presentations lineups on Tuesday. Last year, the event was primarily virtual because of the pandemic.
Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast, Celine Sciamma’s Petite Maman, Edgar Wright’s Last Night In Soho, and Ted Melfi’s dramedy The Starling were among the first official picks of this year by TIFF last month.