Lisa Zeltzer watched COVID-19 case numbers rise through the winter and worried the March trip she鈥檇 booked to New York City 鈥� a vacation her theatre-loving son has been waiting to take for two years 鈥� would be cancelled.
As the Omicron wave began subsiding last month, and as the federal government loosened border measures for air travel in response, Zeltzer started to relax.
At least temporarily.
It鈥檚 easier for Canadians to take vacations they鈥檝e put off amid the pandemic now that rapid antigen tests can be used for re-entry instead of molecular versions and quarantine requirements have ended for children travelling with fully vaccinated parents.
But as jurisdictions drop COVID-19 restrictions and vaccine passports, the Zeltzers feel they have to be extra cautious before boarding their spring break flight.
鈥淚ronically, it鈥檚 actually making me more anxious,鈥� said Zeltzer, an occupational therapist in Toronto. 鈥淲ith the changes and restrictions (lifting) here 鈥� my biggest fear is that we鈥檙e going to get COVID before we leave.鈥�
Zeltzer and her fully-vaccinated family, which includes her husband, 10-year-old son and six-year-old daughter, take off for their Broadway-filled five-day trip to Manhattan the second week of March. Outside of local road trips, it鈥檒l be their first vacation since before the pandemic.
Even though New York state lifted mask mandates in most indoor settings weeks ago, she said they still plan to wear N95 masks around the big city to mitigate any chance of infection.
Testing positive for COVID-19 before flying home would mean having to extend the trip with a pricey isolation period.
鈥淚鈥檓 worried that because everyone鈥檚 loosening up, our chances of getting it are higher and we鈥檙e going to get stuck in a very expensive city,鈥� Zeltzer said.
While many Canadians remain anxious about travelling, Georgetown, Ont., travel agent Lisa Gerlsbeck said she noticed a large uptick in families booking vacations once the government announced its loosened measures two weeks ago.
The changes 鈥� which included removing recommendations that Canadians avoid travel for non-essential purposes and instead urge they 鈥減ractise special precautions鈥� 鈥� came into effect Monday.
鈥淭he phone calls started coming in (immediately after the announcement),鈥� said Gerlsbeck, who specializes in family vacations to Florida.
鈥淧eople want to travel now. They don鈥檛 want to wait until next March break.鈥�
Gerlsbeck said many of her clients are booking vacations for the first time since before the pandemic, including some who鈥檝e postponed the same trips since March 2020. While she said some seem hesitant, many feel ready to get on a plane.
Gerlsbeck said those solidifying getaways have been put at ease by Canada鈥檚 relaxed rule for a PCR test for re-entry 鈥� noting it posed a significant financial hurdle for those travelling with large families. Rapid tests must be taken no earlier than one day before the scheduled flight and be administered by a professional, the new measures say.
Ending the quarantine rule for unvaccinated children re-entering the country has motivated others to travel.
Dianna McKechnie, a mother of two young kids and a teacher in Burlington, Ont., booked a trip to Arizona to see family over March break 鈥渋mmediately鈥� after hearing of the loosened rules. Quarantining with the two-and four-year-olds after the vacation would be difficult for McKechnie and her husband, who both work outside the home.
Many of McKechnie鈥檚 relatives have yet to meet her children, as the family hasn鈥檛 crossed the border in two years.
She expressed doubts about the trip, especially considering Arizona鈥檚 more relaxed attitude toward COVID-19, but said the family plans mostly to stay put at her uncle鈥檚 home and enjoy time together under the blazing desert sun.
鈥淚鈥檒l just conduct myself the way that I鈥檓 comfortable (with),鈥� she said. 鈥淚 think there鈥檚 a lot of COVID there, and it鈥檚 very polarized in terms of people that are following restrictions or not.鈥�
Dr. Anna Banerji, an infectious disease pediatrician and a faculty member at the University of Toronto, said she understands the travel itch some Canadians are feeling.
But she warns that with many places limiting testing, it鈥檚 hard to know how much virus is circulating in Canada and elsewhere.
Banerji said a bump in international travel could lead to a bump in cases across Canada, especially as the timing of spring break trips coincides with other loosening measures. But vaccination coverage and immunity from recent Omicron infections should help lessen the severity of a potential approaching wave, she added.
鈥淭he government has said: 鈥極K, we鈥檙e lifting restrictions,鈥� so you can鈥檛 say, 鈥楧on鈥檛 travel.鈥� 鈥� And people probably have made up their minds, anyway, thinking that COVID is not a risk,鈥� Banerji said.
鈥淚t is maybe less of a risk to some degree, but it鈥檚 still a risk.鈥�
鈥� Melissa Couto Zuber, The Canadian Press
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