Planning your Atlantic summer vacation is more complicated this year

New Brunswickers hoping to take advantage of newly loosened COVID-19 restrictions within the Atlantic region may have to spend more time planning their trip this summer than they did last year.

The former Atlantic bubble allowed travel within the four Atlantic provinces without the need for isolation or testing, but it burst last November, when a wave of COVID cases swept across the country.

Now, instead of a uniform approach, each province has its own set of rules that will likely require some research and forethought.

Nova Scotia announced Tuesday that New Brunswickers will still have to isolate and get tested, even if they're fully vaccinated.

Premier Iain Rankin blamed New Brunswick's decision to open its borders to all Canadians outside the Atlantic region last Thursday, with no isolation or testing required for those with at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

"It's regrettable that we have to have something in place with New Brunswick and our own Nova Scotians that are going to New Brunswick and coming back in," Rankin told reporters at a news conference.

"But we have to put safety first and I'm not going to take chances."

The last-minute announcement of modified rules for New Brunswickers left many people on either side of the border who were anxiously waiting to be reunited with family or friends disappointed, frustrated or angry.

Some have protested the decision by blocking the Trans-Canada Highway in Nova Scotia.

N.S. requires proof of vaccination

Under the Nova Scotia restrictions, people travelling from New Brunswick can enter the province for any reason, but they must complete the Nova Scotia safe check-in form and upload their proof of vaccination.

They will receive automatic approval, but must be prepared to show their proof of vaccination to border officials, said Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia's chief medical officer of health.

"One of the key messages ... to tell people is that even while they upload proof of vaccination as part of their safe re-entry, they absolutely need to bring that proof of vaccination, whether it's on a phone electronically or on a piece of paper, because they may well be asked at the border to validate to show that proof of vaccination," he said.

Their quarantine period will be based on their vaccination status.

• People who have had two doses of vaccine at least 14 days before arriving in Nova Scotia must self-isolate until they receive a negative test result in Nova Scotia.

• People who had one dose of vaccine at least 14 days before arriving in Nova Scotia must self-isolate for at least seven days and cannot leave isolation until they get two negative tests results while in Nova Scotia. Tests should be on Day 1 or 2 and on Day 5 or 6.

• People who have not had any vaccine and those who had a first dose within 14 days of arrival must isolate for 14 days. Testing at the beginning and end of their isolation continues to be recommended.

Strang said he realizes the isolation requirement raises "a lot of questions," particularly for people travelling with children too young to get vaccinated."

"The basic principle is that if there are children and youth travelling with — whether it's a parent or a guardian, with an adult — their quarantine status will be driven by the least vaccinated … adult that's with them," he said.

If, for example, three children are travelling with one parent who has received two doses of vaccine and another parent who has received only one dose, "the quarantine requirements of the kids will be driven by what's required for the parent who's got one dose."

Every situation is different, however, said Strang, directing people to the province's website for more information.

The COVID tests people get must be standard PCR, or polymerase chain reaction, lab tests, which are considered the gold standard diagnostic test. They cannot be rapid tests.

For people arriving in Halifax by air, they can get their first test at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport. All travellers can book tests online at testing sites around the province.

Monitoring the risk

Rankin and Strang said they will continue to monitor the COVID situation in New Brunswick and may lift the restrictions if they feel the risk is manageable.

Asked how Nova Scotia will police its borders, given that Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador don't have the same level of restrictions for New Brunswickers, Rankin replied, "We would ask that people don't look for loopholes."

He acknowledged someone could travel from Moncton to St. John's and then into Nova Scotia, for example, or cross the Confederation Bridge and take the ferry to enter the province.

"But that doesn't take away our efforts to try to keep Nova Scotians safe as we continue to roll out our second doses."

Islanders who drive through New Brunswick to get to Nova Scotia will be allowed to "come right in," as long as they don't stop, he added.

More information about Nova Scotia's travel rules can be found here.

P.E.I. Pass expedites screening

Starting today, vaccinated New Brunswickers who have pre-travel approval under one of Prince Edward Island's travel streams — family connections, compassionate, exceptional travel or seasonal residents — can submit their vaccine record and if approved, won't need to self-isolate, but will require a negative test "soon after arriving" in P.E.I.

Otherwise, New Brunswickers can apply for a P.E.I. Pass — a document that verifies a person is fully or partially vaccinated and not required to self-isolate in P.E.I.

"The pass can be used multiple times and will expedite screening at PEI points of entry," according to the province's website.

"Beginning June 27, partially or fully vaccinated individuals travelling to P.E.I. from within Atlantic Canada who have a P.E.I. Pass will not have to isolate, subject to testing at points of entry, and no travel streams will be required," it states.

To be eligible, people 16 and older must have received their first vaccine dose at least 21 days prior to applying. Children aged 12 to 15 are eligible any time after their first dose, until July 31, after which they'll also need to wait 21 days.

Each person must have their own pass. A parent or guardian must complete the application for children aged 12 to 17.

The form requires people to upload a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver's licence, as well as proof of their vaccination status. However, people should black out unneeded private details before uploading images of their IDs, the province advises.

Given the anticipated "high volume" of applications, the province asks people who aren't planning to travel to P.E.I. until July to wait a few days to submit. But given the high volume, it recommends people apply one to two weeks before their planned arrival.

Two people per household over the age of 15 will need to be tested with a rapid point of care test upon entry. In some cases, children aged 12 to 15 may need to be tested if they're unvaccinated and to meet the two-per-household target, according to the province's website. They cannot be tested at the point of entry, however, and will be directed to the nearest COVID-19 clinic.

People who are only travelling through P.E.I. to get to the ferry to the Magdalen Islands do not need to be tested at the point of entry.

The province will only contact people who test "preliminary positive," usually within two hours. Those individuals will require further testing.

Unvaccinated visitors will be required to complete a declaration and isolate for eight days with tests on entry and on Day 8.

More information on P.E.I.'s travel rules is available here.

No vaccination record required for Newfoundland

Newfoundland and Labrador has no isolation or testing requirements for New Brunswick visitors, effective today. No proof of vaccination is required either.

Visitors must, however, complete a travel form within 30 days of their expected travel date.

To gain entry, people must not have any COVID-19 symptoms, and not have been in close contact with anyone with COVID-19 or have left the region in the last 14 days.

More information on Newfoundland's travel rules can be found here.