Agriculture Roundup for Thursday January 13, 2022
MELFORT, Sask. — The federal government is backing down from its vaccine mandate for Canadian truckers just days before it was set to take effect.
Ottawa announced in mid-November that truck drivers crossing into Canada would need to be fully vaccinated by this Saturday. But last night transport ministry spokesperson Rebecca Purdy said Canadian truckers will not have to quarantine if they are unvaccinated or have received only one dose.
Trade associations on both sides of the border had been pushing for a delay to the restriction, which they say would put additional strain on supply chains amid the latest COVID-19 surge and severe worker shortages.
About 10 per cent of the 120,000 Canadian truckers who cross the border may not have been able to work those routes.