Canada's COVID-19 vaccination requirement for domestic and outbound travelers, as well as federal bureaucrats and transportation workers, will be suspended starting next week, officials said Tuesday.

Masking, however, will still be required on planes and trains.

"I'm pleased to announce that on June 20 our government will suspend the requirement to be vaccinated in order to board a plane or train in Canada," Transport Minister Omar Alghabra told a news conference.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/canada-covid-19-vaccine-mandate-report-says-trudeau-to-announce-new-guidelines-488022">Canada COVID-19 vaccine mandate: Report says Trudeau to announce new guidelines</a>

He cited a high rate of inoculations and a falling number of Covid cases and hospitalizations across the country. The move also comes as most other pandemic restrictions have been lifted.

Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic Leblanc added that this will not, however, immediately ease a logjam at Canadian airports.

That problem, along with delays in the issuing of passports, sparked a public outcry in recent weeks, as more and more Canadians seek to take trips after more than two years of pandemic restrictions and lockdowns.

The mandatory vaccine policy for travelers was rolled out last October, and Alghabra warned it could be reimposed in the fall if COVID-19 cases jump back up.

Watch |&nbsp;US &amp; Canada remove COVID travel restrictions for international tourists

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"Our government will always continue to evaluate measures and will not hesitate to make additional adjustments based on the latest public health advice and science," he said.

Travelers entering Canada, meanwhile, must continue to show proof of vaccination. Those departing the country will no longer need to do so.

Alghabra noted that the United States, a popular destination for Canadians, still requires proof of vaccination for those arriving from abroad.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/canada-random-covid-tests-at-airports-suspended-487071">Canada: Random Covid tests at airports suspended</a>

In a statement, the Canadian government said it was maintaining the requirement for inbound travelers to be vaccinated because "vaccination rates and virus control in other countries varies significantly" and it will "serve as added protection against any future variant."

More than 90 per cent of Canadians have received two Covid vaccine doses, while about half have also received a booster, according to government figures.

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Canada's COVID-19 vaccination requirement for domestic and outbound travelers, as well as federal bureaucrats and transportation workers, will be suspended starting next week, officials said Tuesday.

Canada's COVID-19 vaccination requirement for domestic and outbound travelers, as well as federal bureaucrats and transportation workers, will be suspended starting next week, officials said Tuesday. Masking, however, will still be required on planes and trains. "I'm pleased to announce that on June 20 our government will suspend the requirement to be vaccinated in order to board a plane or train in Canada," Transport Minister Omar Alghabra told a news conference. Also read | Canada COVID-19 vaccine mandate: Report says Trudeau to announce new guidelines He cited a high rate of inoculations and a falling number of Covid cases and hospitalizations across the country. The move also comes as most other pandemic restrictions have been lifted. Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic Leblanc added that this will not, however, immediately ease a logjam at Canadian airports. That problem, along with delays in the issuing of passports, sparked a public outcry in recent weeks, as more and more Canadians seek to take trips after more than two years of pandemic restrictions and lockdowns. The mandatory vaccine policy for travelers was rolled out last October, and Alghabra warned it could be reimposed in the fall if COVID-19 cases jump back up. Watch | US & Canada remove COVID travel restrictions for international tourists "Our government will always continue to evaluate measures and will not hesitate to make additional adjustments based on the latest public health advice and science," he said. Travelers entering Canada, meanwhile, must continue to show proof of vaccination. Those departing the country will no longer need to do so. Alghabra noted that the United States, a popular destination for Canadians, still requires proof of vaccination for those arriving from abroad. Also read | Canada: Random Covid tests at airports suspended In a statement, the Canadian government said it was maintaining the requirement for inbound travelers to be vaccinated because "vaccination rates and virus control in other countries varies significantly" and it will "serve as added protection against any future variant." More than 90 per cent of Canadians have received two Covid vaccine doses, while about half have also received a booster, according to government figures. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Canada lifts Covid vaccine mandate for domestic, outbound travel

A new study has found that domestic travel bans to control Covid infections may be inadvisable as India battles a severe second wave of the deadly virus.

Depending on their duration, these restrictions can lead to more rather than fewer infections overall, especially when there is a large urban-rural migrant population, it indicated.

As India battles a severe second wave of COVID-19, state governments are once again faced with the question: Should they use travel bans to control disease transmission?

In the first wave of COVID-19, most states chose this option. The hardships faced by migrant workers prevented them from returning home to their villages were seen as a necessary sacrifice to reduce the spread of disease into rural India.

In the second wave, the Delhi government has urged migrants not to leave. Other cities may follow suit. A new research paper by academics at the University of Chicago suggests that imposing travel bans can counter-intuitively increase the total spread of the disease, creating a lose-lose situation.

This outcome occurs when a country has a large migrant population that is prevented from leaving an urban hotspot and returning to rural areas. The researchers show that if the net effect of a travel ban is to delay the movement of these people, rather than prevent it entirely, the policy can lead to more cases overall.

The paper uses detailed data on rural-urban migration, travel ban policies, and COVID-19 cases to show that this lose-lose outcome occurred in India during the first wave, due to travel bans imposed on migrants wishing to leave Mumbai.

Elaborating on the findings, Anant Sudarshan, South Asia Director of The Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago and one of the study authors, said: "The national lockdown in the first wave trapped millions of migrants inside big cities like Mumbai that were fast-growing coronavirus hotspots.

"Eventually people were able to leave, but variations in government policy meant that the length of time they were detained depended on where they wanted to go. In the case of rural districts where people could return quicker—using the Shramik Special Trains for example—cases rose modestly at the destination.

"But for those areas where bans were in effect longer, there was a much more intensive coronavirus increase, likely because the returning population was now more likely to be infected, having been trapped in the hotspot longer."

Apart from Mumbai, the paper further analyses data from five other countries where migration is prevalent—China, Indonesia, the Philippines, South Africa, and Kenya.

Together these countries comprise roughly 40% of the global population and all of them had initial outbreaks in a few hotspot locations.

The researchers used epidemiological data, migration data, and information on travel bans from all these countries to show that although exceptionally long bans may work to reduce total cases, moderate durations are associated with significant increases in disease spread.

Fiona Burlig, Assistant Professor at the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago, one of the co-authors of the study, adds: "The evidence indicates that if the duration of a travel ban is not long enough, we may end up imposing hardship on people while perversely seeing more spread of infection.

"Getting the duration wrong is easy because it is not possible to predict in advance what the optimal length should be, and in a democracy, such restrictions cannot be easily sustained. There may be merit in letting people go home early, and indeed encouraging them to do so, rather than forcing them to stay."

(With inputs from agencies)

A new study has found that domestic travel bans to control Covid infections may be inadvisable as India battles a severe second wave of the deadly virus. Depending on their duration, these restrictions can lead to more rather than fewer infections overall, especially when there is a large urban-rural migrant population, it indicated.

A new study has found that domestic travel bans to control Covid infections may be inadvisable as India battles a severe second wave of the deadly virus. Depending on their duration, these restrictions can lead to more rather than fewer infections overall, especially when there is a large urban-rural migrant population, it indicated. As India battles a severe second wave of COVID-19, state governments are once again faced with the question: Should they use travel bans to control disease transmission? In the first wave of COVID-19, most states chose this option. The hardships faced by migrant workers prevented them from returning home to their villages were seen as a necessary sacrifice to reduce the spread of disease into rural India. In the second wave, the Delhi government has urged migrants not to leave. Other cities may follow suit. A new research paper by academics at the University of Chicago suggests that imposing travel bans can counter-intuitively increase the total spread of the disease, creating a lose-lose situation. This outcome occurs when a country has a large migrant population that is prevented from leaving an urban hotspot and returning to rural areas. The researchers show that if the net effect of a travel ban is to delay the movement of these people, rather than prevent it entirely, the policy can lead to more cases overall. The paper uses detailed data on rural-urban migration, travel ban policies, and COVID-19 cases to show that this lose-lose outcome occurred in India during the first wave, due to travel bans imposed on migrants wishing to leave Mumbai. Elaborating on the findings, Anant Sudarshan, South Asia Director of The Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago and one of the study authors, said: "The national lockdown in the first wave trapped millions of migrants inside big cities like Mumbai that were fast-growing coronavirus hotspots. "Eventually people were able to leave, but variations in government policy meant that the length of time they were detained depended on where they wanted to go. In the case of rural districts where people could return quicker—using the Shramik Special Trains for example—cases rose modestly at the destination. "But for those areas where bans were in effect longer, there was a much more intensive coronavirus increase, likely because the returning population was now more likely to be infected, having been trapped in the hotspot longer." Apart from Mumbai, the paper further analyses data from five other countries where migration is prevalent—China, Indonesia, the Philippines, South Africa, and Kenya. Together these countries comprise roughly 40% of the global population and all of them had initial outbreaks in a few hotspot locations. The researchers used epidemiological data, migration data, and information on travel bans from all these countries to show that although exceptionally long bans may work to reduce total cases, moderate durations are associated with significant increases in disease spread. Fiona Burlig, Assistant Professor at the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago, one of the co-authors of the study, adds: "The evidence indicates that if the duration of a travel ban is not long enough, we may end up imposing hardship on people while perversely seeing more spread of infection. "Getting the duration wrong is easy because it is not possible to predict in advance what the optimal length should be, and in a democracy, such restrictions cannot be easily sustained. There may be merit in letting people go home early, and indeed encouraging them to do so, rather than forcing them to stay." (With inputs from agencies)

Domestic travel curbs can lead to more COVID-19 cases: Study

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