Ottawa to consider vaccine mandate exemptions for some remote Indigenous communities – CBC

Exemptions could apply to remote communities where travel is only possible by air

Oct 07, 2021

The federal government is working on exemptions to its newly released mandatory vaccine policy for people in remote Indigenous communities, many of which are only accessible by air.

The new policy calls for travellers over the age of 12 to provide proof they’ve received two doses of a Health Canada-approved vaccine at least 14 days before boarding a plane or train.

Those travellers must be fully vaccinated by Oct. 30.

There are 182 communities that have been assessed by Transport Canada or the provinces and territories as “remote.”

The vast majority are so isolated they can be reached only by plane, and essential services like medical visits are not accessible by any other means of transportation.

Accommodations could include asking for a negative molecular COVID-19 test, rather than proof of full vaccination, according to a statement from the office of federal Transport Minister Omar Alghabra.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/covid-vaccine-remote-communities-exemption-1.6203968