National vaccine passport will make travel easier

One of the first parts of our normal existence to shut down when the pandemic began was travel.

As borders were closed, taking a flight was restricted to essential travel only and many flights within Canada were grounded.

With more people fully vaccinated, provinces have lifted travel restrictions and non-essential travel has resumed. Many Canadians have taken advantage of the opportunity to connect with family they haven't seen in a long time or vacation somewhere outside their provincial borders.

While this has been a great relief to us, there are still a number of steps to be considered to travel by air within Canada.

This week, I will be heading to Ontario to visit family I have only seen on a computer screen over the past two years. While I am excited about the prospect of hugging those I love and have missed, I will admit to some sense of trepidation over the entire process of getting there, how much risk there is to the actual travel and what rules are in place once I land. There's much more involved in planning this trip than just booking a flight and letting family know when my flight gets in.

To start with, I had to do some research on any new rules for air travel during the pandemic, including masking requirements at the airport and during the actual flight. I then needed to make sure I was aware of all the paperwork that might be necessary for the journey, including the travel forms that need to be completed when I return home. I have paper copies of my vaccination record showing that I have both vaccinations and I have downloaded this record from the government website so I have a copy of this on my phone in case that's easier to use.

What I haven't been able to do — which would have made this entire process much easier — is to download a vaccine passport app on my phone showing I am fully vaccinated.

While the federal government has announced plans for a national app, it's not yet available. Despite the fierce protest around the need for vaccine passports among some sectors of the population, most jurisdictions in the country now recognize the necessity for them but, depending on where you live, they may or may not be available yet. Each province is bringing in its own system with its own rules about where they are applied, and it is not clear if vaccine apps from other provinces will be recognized or what is acceptable for travellers to use to prove vaccination. Can I use my vaccine credentials from Newfoundland and Labrador to download the Ontario app and, if not, will businesses accept what I have downloaded on my phone?

As Canadians prepare to enter the next phase of the pandemic — travelling while living with the virus — there needs to be some consistency in how people show they have been vaccinated. Once the federal app is available, hopefully it will be accepted everywhere in Canada.

As I look forward to my trip, I also need to consider the higher case numbers in Ontario and think about what I will feel safe doing while there. I have decided to follow the stringent guidelines we have followed in my home province while on vacation and continue to practice social distancing, wear a mask in public places and stay away from large gatherings. I am happy enough to just focus on spending time with family and will forgo seeing some of the sights until the next time I visit, when hopefully there is much less COVID-19 around.

For now, I'm just thankful to be able to see, touch and spend precious time with those I love.