The government of Canada announced new COVID-19 testing rules for most Canadian airports on Tuesday of last week. Six days later, we still don’t know what’s really happening.
The Trudeau government announced at the time that all passengers flying into Canada from destinations other than the United States would have to be tested upon arrival. Officials who said they were worried about the Omicron variant, said travellers will have to isolate while they wait for their results, and that those results might take three days.
Those tests are in addition to the requirement that anyone flying to Canada show a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of their scheduled departure.
I reached out to Toronto Pearson Airport this afternoon to find out if testing for arriving passengers and was told by a spokesperson that there wasn’t much to go on.
“Unfortunately we don’t have any further information at this time,” she said.
Asked if that means they haven’t begun the testing program for all international (non-USA) arrivals, the spokesperson replied, “The government has ramped up randomized testing of fully vaccinated passengers at Canadian airports, and we continue to collaborate with them regarding their requirements and timeline to test all international arrivals. You can reach out to them at media@tc.gc.ca to find out more regarding their timelines and new process. We have no further information or details at this time.”
Government officials on the weekend said it might take a few more days for airports to have their testing procedures in place.
Travellers coming into Canada have been required for some time to use the government’s ArriveCAN app. Some Canadians who took driving trips to the U.S. and failed to use the app were told they had to quarantine for 14 days as a result.
That sparked headlines across the country. But CP24 reports that “travellers who can’t access the government’s ArriveCan app, or simply forget to fill it out, may start to receive some clemency at the border after Canada’s public safety minister gave new instructions to border officials to allow people to provide their travel details in person.”
