Winter holiday travel in pandemic times

In any respect, Christmas is the most beautiful time of the year. It’s beautiful, it’s fun, it’s a fairy-tail period for children and adults. It’s time when families gather together. Whether it’s a Europe tour, long-waited Caribbean vacation, a family adventure, or an escape for two, don’t forget to protect what is most important to you with travel insurance, especially in COVID-19 times.

Travel Insurance for Ontarians

Flight delays, lost luggage, trip cancellations, and sudden illness can happen when you least expect them. Make your comprehensive travel insurance an essential part of your winter holiday period trips. Even if you are going to visit your relatives in US for a few hours, don’t ignore buying a travel insurance policy: emergency medical expenses are not covered by OHIP. Don’t put yourself and your loved ones at risk. Canadian government strongly advises to purchase additional health insurance every time you leave Canada.

Generally, travel insurance coverage varies but usually include the following:

• Medical emergency
• Lost, stolen or damaged baggage, personal effects or travel documents
• Travel delays due to weather
• Missed flight connection
• Delayed baggage (and emergency replacement of essential items)
• Emergency evacuation
• Repatriation of remains
• Return of a minor
• Trip cancellation
• Trip interruption
• Accidental death
• Overseas funeral expenses

Travel medical insurance can be purchased to include higher risks such as “winter sports”.

Usually, travel insurance can provide services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

COVID-19 and travel insurance

If you have to travel abroad during the COVID-19 pandemic, check with your travel insurance provider (whether you have a group, an individual or a credit-card type of insurance):

• Make sure you are covered for COVID-19-related medical expenses, other non-COVID-19 emergency-related expenses, as well as trip interruption. While some insurance companies may offer COVID-19 related medical expenses coverage, it may not include protection for other non-COVID-19 emergency-related expenses.
• Find out if you are covered for quarantine costs should you become infected with COVID-19 during your trip.
• Make sure you have travel insurance coverage for your entire trip as some insurers may limit options to extend policies after departure.
• Find out if you are covered for extended stays outside Canada.

What if you need help while abroad?

If you, or a loved one, are outside Canada and lose your passport, need urgent medical care, have been arrested or detained, or face an emergency, Canadian consular officials may be able to help you. This help provided to Canadians abroad is called “consular services”.

You can reach consular officials 24 hours a day, seven days a week, through more than 260 points of service in 150 countries and through the Emergency Watch and Response Centre in Ottawa. If you get into trouble while you are abroad, contact the nearest Government of Canada office as soon as possible.

Each case is different, and the type and amount of help consular officials can give you depends on the situation. A natural disaster, violent conflict or political unrest, or the laws and regulations in other countries may mean that consular officials are less able to help you. Before you travel, make sure you know how to find the Government of Canada office abroad closest to your destination and understand the services it can and cannot provide.

Four very important things you have to know before travelling:

 #1

The Canadian COVID-19 proof of vaccination for travelling

The Canadian COVID-19 proof of vaccination is a reliable way to show proof of your COVID-19 vaccination history when travelling internationally and within Canada. It is now available in all provinces and territories.

To get the Canadian COVID-19 proof of vaccination for travel by plane, train or cruise ship you have to:

• visit Health Ontario website
• enter your health card number
• download your enhanced vaccine certificate

Once you get your Canadian COVID-19 proof of vaccination, you can access it

• as a file on a mobile device, computer or mobile wallet (if your device supports the Smart Health Card format)
• on paper, by printing the PDF file with the QR code

#2

A molecular pre-entry test

Effective December 21, 2021, all Canadians returning from short trips must take a molecular pre-entry test. The test must be taken outside of Canada.

 #3

Use ArriveCAN to enter Canada

All travellers before entry into Canada, whether entering Canada by air, land, rail or marine vessel, must use ArriveCAN to provide mandatory information: contact information and travel details, vaccination information and pre-entry test results, and quarantine plan.

#4

You have to check your destination’s COVID-19 requirements.

Buy medical emergency travel insurance and have a safe trip!