Manitoba considering lifting interprovincial travel restrictions for fully vaccinated people

Manitoba looking at changes to travel restrictions Manitoba is considering lifting travel restrictions within Canada for fully vaccinated people. CTV's Jeff Keele reports.

WINNIPEG — A roadmap on lifting travel restrictions within Canada for fully vaccinated people may have unfolded in Nunavut Monday.

Nunavut announced travellers with both doses will no longer have to self-isolate before or upon arrival, parents with non-vaccinated children would still need to quarantine.

Dr. Brent Roussin, the chief provincial public health officer, said the province is exploring this measure and others.

“We’re taking those type of things very much under consideration,” said Roussin. Right now people entering or re-entering Manitoba must quarantine for 14 days.

A survey on reopening released Friday asked Manitobans about what rule changes would be most important to them for fully vaccinated people and one of the options is the ability to travel within Canada with no self-isolation required in Manitoba.

“We’re looking for ways to make being fully vaccinated count, so we don’t have anything specific, there’s going to be more later this week that we can discuss on that.” Hotels have been hit hard by the restrictions. The Manitoba Hotel Association says while it has concerns about policing who is vaccinated and who is not, it’s open to the idea as long as it is safe to do so.

“We are so desperate to going back to what it is that we do, that I think all things would be on the table,” Scott Jocelyn, the president of the Manitoba Hotel Association. Currently, Ontario has closed its border to non-essential travel preventing most Manitoba cottage owners from crossing.

Nick Lisney owns two properties.

“It’s very disheartening, it’s very vague,” said Lisney. Lisney said his wife, who is a nurse is fully vaccinated, and she was turned away at the border on the way to their cottage.

He said interprovincial travel should be open for people who took the time to get both shots.

“There has to be some sort of payoff if you will, to be allowed through.” The province says it is working on a digital card to show vaccine status if it’s ever needed here or in other provinces.

“We wanted to ensure Manitobans have that ability to prove their vaccine status just because we can’t control what other jurisdictions do,” said Roussin.