Travel
Staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others.
Individuals and families in higher transmission areas should avoid non-essential travel to areas of low transmission (i.e., from Red to Yellow or from Yellow to Green).
If you must travel outside of the region, follow public health advice:
Before you go
- Consider the risks associated with travelling.
- Be aware of the status of COVID-19 cases for your destination.
- Check the local requirements for your destination (e.g., self-quarantine requirements upon entry and rules about face coverings).
- Self-quarantine or drastically reduce close contact with others 10 to 14 days before travelling.
- Check your employer’s requirements for returning to work after travel.
During your trip
- Keep a 2 metre distance from people outside of your household.
- Wear a face covering when physical distancing cannot be maintained.
- Wash your hands often.
- Cough and sneeze into a tissue or the bend of your arm.
- Avoid spending time in large crowds or crowded areas.
- Monitor your health. If you become sick when you are travelling, self-isolate and get tested for COVID-19.
When you return
- Self-quarantine, or drastically reduce close contact with others for 10 to 14 days after returning home.
- Self-monitor for symptoms.
- If you develop symptoms, self-isolate and get tested for COVID-19.
Travel outside of Ontario
It is recommended that travel outside your region and province is limited to essential travel only.
Individuals and families who consider travelling to another province for essential reasons should:
- consider the risk associated with travelling. This includes COVID-19 transmission in the other province, entry requirements (e.g., quarantine) of some provinces, etc., and
- self-quarantine or drastically reduce close contact with others 10 to 14 days before travelling and after returning home. This will help lower the risk of exposure to COVID-19.
Travel outside of Canada
If you have questions about returning to Canada, call the Government of Canada COVID-19 info line at 1-833-784-4397.
It is recommended that travel outside the country is limited to essential travel only.
Before travelling outside of Canada, visit the Government of Canada website for information on:
- travel advisories
- staying safe during your trip
- requirements for entry back into Canada
The Government of Canada has put in place an emergency order under the Quarantine Act to slow the spread of COVID-19. When returning from travel outside of Canada you are required to self-isolate for 14 days. If you who develop symptoms during this 14-day period you should get tested for COVID-19. Even if you test negative, you are still required to complete the 14-day self-isolation.
Travellers entering Canada must also provide their contact information through the:
- ArriveCan app (iOS or Android), or
- ArriveCan website, or
- a paper form.
You can use the ArriveCAN app to speed up your arrival process in Canada. Information can be submitted using the app within 48 hours before arriving in Canada.
Exemptions from mandatory self-isolation
For more information about exemptions and how to apply, visit the Government of Canada website.
You can apply for limited release from mandatory self-isolation for compassionate reasons, such as:
- to be present during the final moments of life for a loved one,
- attending a funeral,
- supporting a critically ill loved one, or
- providing care to someone who has a valid medical reason for needing it.
This release only applies to activities directly relating to the compassionate exemption. You’ll be expected to stay in self-isolation at all other times.
You are exempt from mandatory self-isolation if you:
- are listed as an exemption in the mandatory self-isolation order, and
- do not have symptoms of COVID-19.
If you are exempt from mandatory self-isolation, you must still:
- self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms and self-isolate if symptoms develop,
- wear a face covering while in public settings, if physical distancing cannot be maintained, and
- follow public health guidance and prevention measures from your local health authority.
There are no exemptions from mandatory self-isolation for:
- a traveller who has tested negative for COVID-19, or
- a traveller who has recovered from COVID-19.