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Best Apps to Use When Travelling During a Pandemic

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The federal government advises that Canadians avoid all non–essential travel, both at home and abroad. Stay informed on the latest travel rules and restrictions by visiting the Government of Canada’s site on travel health notices.

If your reason for travel is considered essential by a province or territory under the Quarantine Act’s emergency orders (and you are given an exemption by the government of Canada) here are some helpful resources to help you plan your trip.

Should you need to travel, Air Canada is flying to destinations across Canada, the U.S., Europe and Asia.

Hoping to travel in 2021? We are, too. To help facilitate safer travel during the coronavirus pandemic, governments, app developers and global health experts worldwide are doing their part and we’ve compiled the best Covid–19 apps and websites that provide everything from exposure notification to self–assessments and news updates.

For up–to–date travel information, see Where Can Canadians Travel Right Now in 2020?

Travel Tips, Wellness, Technology
By Alexis Ramlall
December 14, 2020
The DragonSlayer app on a mobile device

  1. DragonSlayer —

    This app, which originally started as a personalized travel planning platform, has adapted to the pandemic and has widened its capabilities to offer users a SAFE–T score (smart analytics for educating travellers) for 124 different countries and all 50 U.S. states. This score considers factors like Covid–19–related deaths, testing capacity, new case trends, and how good the country or state’s healthcare system is – and it changes based on an individual’s risk tolerance.

The ArriveCAN app on a mobile device

  2. ArriveCAN —

    It is mandatory for people travelling to Canada as their final destination to use this app to submit their travel and contact information, plans for quarantine and a Covid–19 symptom self–assessment. If you’re travelling abroad, this app is also necessary when you return to Canada.

The TravWell app on a mobile device

  3. TravWell —

    Developed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this app is the ultimate pre–made travel checklist. Within the app, you can “build a trip” to get destination–specific vaccine recommendations, a checklist of what you need to do to prepare for your trip, and a customizable healthy travel packing list.

  4. Covid Alert —

    This is the official Canadian government exposure notification app that has been adopted by nine provinces and territories. The app uses Bluetooth technology and random codes to notice when two users spend at least 15 minutes together, less than two metres apart. If a user later tests positive for Covid–19, they can use the app to anonymously notify contacts of potential exposure. Even if your province or territory isn’t included in the reporting function of the app, it’s still recommended to have it, in order to be notified if you come into contact with someone from another province.

The AB Trace Together app on a mobile device

  5. ABTraceTogether —

    Similar to the Covid Alert app, this is a mobile exposure notification app specifically for Alberta that that allows you to report your diagnosis and alerts you if you've been exposed to a case of Covid–19.

The BC Covid-19 Support app on a mobile device

  6. BC Covid–19 Support —

    If you live in British Columbia, this app is designed for you to stay informed about Covid–19 in your province and help you determine what actions you should take, with updates from B.C. Ministry of Health. It also includes a self–assessment tool and recommendations based on your personal risk factors.

The Canada Covid-19 app on a mobile device

  7. Canada Covid–19 —

    This app, also issued by the Government of Canada, helps you track any symptoms you may have and includes the latest news updates and data on the country’s Covid–19 cases.

The Covid-19 Situational Awareness Dashboard app on a mobile device

  8. Covid–19 Situational Awareness Dashboard —

    If you plan on travelling within Canada and want to keep an eye on provincial Covid–19 statistics, this website created by the Government of Canada provides all the necessary information on each province and territory in an easy–to–read format with interactive maps and graphs.

The Johns Hopkins University’s Covid-19 Tracker app on a mobile device

  9. Johns Hopkins University’s Covid–19 Tracker —

    If you’re travelling abroad, this site is comprehensive, convenient and considered to be one of the best dashboards for tracking the pandemic worldwide. It keeps tabs on Covid–19 testing rates, positive cases and more in 191 countries as well as U.S. states and counties.