July 6, 2020
To help slow the spread of COVID-19, Canadian officials have launched a new initiative to track travelers entering their country. As part of this initiative, Canadian border officials have begun asking commercial drivers for personal information such as email addresses and cell phone numbers to enhance contact tracing capabilities.
For now, this additional requirement in effect at the following ports of entry:
- St. Stephen, NB 3rd Bridge/Calais ME
- St. Armand, QC/Highgate Springs, VT
- Lansdowne, ON/Alexandria Bay, NY
- Queenston-Lewiston Bridge, Queenston, ON/Lewiston, NY
- Coutts, AB/Sweet Grass, MT
- Pacific Highway, Surrey, BC/Blaine, WA
This list may expand. Visit the Canada Border Services Agency website for the latest border measures and requirements.
Since March 31, Canada has required incoming travelers to complete a Traveler Contact Information Form to help monitor and enforce its mandatory 14-day quarantine or isolation period. Essential commercial drivers have been exempt provided they don’t have symptoms of COVID-19. As part of the exemption, these drivers haven’t been required to provide their contact information. While still exempt from the mandatory quarantine (provided they are symptom free), commercial drivers are now being asked for their contact information.