BREAKING: Trudeau Liberals announce suspension of vaccine mandate for travel on June 20

Federal ministers Jean-Yves Duclos, Omar Alghabra, Dominic LeBlanc, and Mona Fortier made the announcement from Ottawa.

"Canadians may wonder, is this too fast or is this too slow? It has been very tough for Canadians these past two years. Our job as a national government has always been to keep Canadians safe. If the situation takes a turn for the worst, we are prepared to bring back the policies necessary to protect Canadians," said LeBlanc, boasting that the Liberal government's prudent approach "has saved lives."

LeBlanc said that the lifting of vaccine measures would not have a direct impact on the long wait times that have been experienced at Canada's airports, specifically at Toronto's Pearson Airport.

The vaccine mandate has been in effect since October 30, 2021.

"The COVID situation is not the same now as it was last fall when we implemented the vaccine mandate for travelers and transport workers," said Alghabra.

"I'm pleased to announce that "On June 20, our government will suspend the requirement to be vaccinated in order to board a plane or train in Canada."

Alghabra also said that employers in the federally regulated transportation sector will no longer need to have vaccination requirements for their employees.

"The suspension of the vaccine mandate was informed by key indicators, including the epidemiological situation and modeling, vaccine science, and high levels of vaccination against COVID-19 in Canada."

"As for travelers coming to Canada by air, land, and marine—there are no changes," he added.

Mask mandates on-board trains and planes remain in place.