By Canadian Press

When will feds lift COVID-19 mandates? It’s complicated, minister says

Mar 21, 2022 | 4:20 PM

OTTAWA — What will it take for the federal government to lift COVID-19 vaccine mandates? Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos says it’s complicated.

The minister is being asked today about specific benchmarks that would trigger an end to vaccine requirements for travellers and federal employees.

Duclos isn’t giving any clear criteria, but rather says it will depend on the epidemiological situation within and outside of Canada, and the domestic vaccination rate.

He says less than 60 per cent of eligible Canadians have a booster shot, for example.

Opposition parties have increasingly called for more transparency about how the federal government makes decisions about public health decisions under its jurisdiction.

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Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam says the current situation with COVID-19 is “unstable,” and that the federal government is waiting to see whether there is a resurgence in coming weeks. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 21, 2022.

Laura Osman, The Canadian Press