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‘Not clear’ if new border rules apply to Quebecers who have had COVID-19 and single vaccine dose

Click to play video: 'Minister Bill Blair outlines updated requirements for fully vaccinated Canadian travellers at the border'
Minister Bill Blair outlines updated requirements for fully vaccinated Canadian travellers at the border
Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair on Monday outlined the requirements for fully vaccinated travellers entering the country after the government announced it would allow them to enter without having to quarantine. Blair said fully vaccinated travellers will need to submit their vaccine information via the ArriveCan app prior to arriving at the border. They will also need to obtain a negative COVID-19 test 72 hours before arriving at the border, as well as a second test upon arriving, he said – Jun 21, 2021

It’s unclear whether Quebecers who have had COVID-19 and one dose of vaccine can benefit when the federal government lifts quarantine rules for fully vaccinated travellers on July 5, Quebec Premier François Legault said Monday.

Quebec considers residents who have recovered from the novel coronavirus and who have received a single dose of COVID-19 vaccine to be fully vaccinated. Ottawa, however, defines a fully vaccinated traveller as someone who has received two doses.

“It’s part of the discussions,” Legault told reporters about talks between Quebec and the federal government. “But it’s not clear at the moment — our specialists say (those travellers) should be considered as completely vaccinated,” he said. Legault acknowledged the discrepancy between definitions could cause issues when it comes to travel.

READ MORE: Quebec reports under 100 COVID-19 cases for first time since last summer

Earlier on Monday, federal Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said starting July 5, air travellers who have been fully vaccinated for at least two weeks won’t have to spend any time at a quarantine hotel, and neither air nor land travellers who are fully vaccinated will have to quarantine at home at all as long as they test negative before and after arrival.

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For now, the new rules only recognize the four vaccines Canada has authorized and will not apply to most foreign nationals.

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Quebec’s Health Department has said a previous COVID-19 infection triggers an immune system response similar to the response from a first dose of vaccine.

The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI), however, has said people with a previous infection “should continue to receive a complete vaccine series at the recommended intervals, regardless of the severity of their previous infection.”

Click to play video: 'Fully vaccinated Canadians can enter country without quarantine starting July 5'
Fully vaccinated Canadians can enter country without quarantine starting July 5

Federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu said Monday the question has been put to federal experts, with hopes for a swift response.

“We’ve actually asked the scientists and the scientific community to study this issue and to give us advice as the understanding evolves around the protective nature of vaccination on top of having had COVID and recovered,” Hajdu told reporters.

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“We know that in Quebec this is considered fully vaccinated and we’ll be watching that science carefully.”

Dr. Donald Vinh, an infectious diseases specialist at McGill University Health Centre, said the literature on the matter is pretty clear. “If you have previously been infected with COVID and you got one dose, we know that one dose of vaccine acts like a really good boost and should consider you a fully vaccinated person,” he said.

READ MORE: More regions in Quebec shift to green zone as COVID-19 restrictions ease

Quebec’s Health Department said Monday the proof of vaccination it offers doesn’t identify someone as having been infected with COVID-19.

“The electronic proof of vaccination with QR code indicates the dose(s) that citizens have received, it does not mention the notion of having had the disease or not or the notion of being adequately vaccinated,” the department said in an email. “This information will be added over the next few weeks.”

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