The federal government announced on Wednesday that all current border restrictions for entering Canada will remain in effect until at least September 30.

This means that foreign travelers will still need to provide proof of full vaccination to enter the country, and unvaccinated Canadians or permanent residents will need to provide a molecular COVID-19 test conducted before entry and quarantine for 14 days upon arrival.

The government still requires all travelers, regardless of nationality, to upload their vaccination information and travel documents to the ArriveCan app. The restrictions were last extended on May 31.

The announcement from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) indicates a prolonged pause in testing at all airports until mid-July for full vaccination.

This pause was implemented on June 11 as an Ottawa attempt to ease congestion and delays at airports due to increased travel demand and staff shortages.

Moving tests outside airports will allow Canada to adapt to rising traveler volumes while continuing the ability to monitor and quickly respond to new variants of concern, or changes in the epidemiological situation," according to a statement from the Primary Health Care Centre.

On June 11, the government also announced it would cancel the vaccine mandate for international and domestic travelers starting June 20.

Many industry organizations and opposition MPs have long called on the government to abandon various border measures, i.e., the dual processes that slow travel.

In response, Canadian health and tourism ministers continue to emphasize that while the epidemiological situation in Canada has improved, the pandemic still exists.

"As we move to the next phase of our COVID-19 response, it is important to remember that the pandemic is not over yet.

Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said in a statement on Wednesday, "We must continue to do everything we can to keep ourselves and others safe from the virus."