Current Canadian COVID-19 Public Health Directives

A clearinghouse of information from national and provincial health ministries on public rules and restrictions

CoVaRR-Net is compiling data on the provincial and territorial responses to COVID-19 from across Canada. The content includes what the various provinces and territories are doing in regards to surveillance, control and prevention of the virus. Our team has created this document using publicly available information from government websites and some media outlets and will be updating it regularly.


An initiative from CoVaRR-Net’s Public Health, Health Systems and Social Policy Impact Pillar (Pillar 8)

All questions or comments can be directed to Andrea Mackay at andrea.mackay@usask.ca.


A note on Surveillance

  • Sequenced = whole genome sequencing (WGS) – complete genome analyzed, used to confirm specific VOCs and to detect new VOCs.
  • Screening = VOC PCR testing – identifies known mutations but cannot identify new VOCs.
    • PCR methods can utilize the S gene target failure (SGTF) marker for Omicron or target specific mutations (e.g. Δ69/70, N501Y).  The N501Y mutation may also be found in Alpha, Beta, or Gamma, but not Delta, which is the dominant variant in Canada.
    • Sequencing is required to confirm the variant as these targets are not specific to Omicron (PHO)
    • Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick perform sequencing on samples that test positive for SARS-CoV-2. The other regions have agreements with other provinces or send their samples to the National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) (Virusseq.ca)
  • Wastewater surveillance limitations include lack of standardized methods for sampling or testing.  As a result, the data must be interpreted with context (site, sources, testing methods and clinical epidemiology of the area being sampled) and in collaboration with utilities, laboratories and public health (PHO)

A note on control

  • The Government of Canada determines the rules for entering Canada, including individuals who are fully vaccinated. Restrictions vary depending on which country you are travelling from.
  • The descriptions regarding travel for each province and territory outlines the additional measures that may be required for those travelling to or from these provinces and territories.

A note on prevention

  • Moderately and severely immunocompromised: each jurisdiction has a list of eligible conditions at the provided link
  • Interval refers to the minimum time frame necessary after second dose to be eligible for third/booster
  •  Some jurisdictions clarified between a third dose and a booster shot, others have not.