Mandatory random testing of fully vaccinated travellers will resume next Tuesday, and Canadian tourism officials aren’t happy about it. Ottawa paused mandatory random testing for those entering Canada by air on June 11, 2022, as part of a broader strategy to transition testing for air travellers outside of the airports. Mandatory random testing will resume as of July 19, 2022, for travellers who qualify as fully vaccinated, arriving in Canada by air to the four major Canadian airports—Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Toronto. To qualify as a fully vaccinated traveller to Canada, travellers must have been vaccinated with a primary series Read more
Public Health Canada
Mandatory Random Testing For Air Arrivals to Canada Resumes Next Week: Tourism Group Blasts Decision
Two days after the Canadian government said it was removing its “do not travel” advisory, the warning against international travel is still on the official website. The site, which appears to have been last updated on December 15, 2021 states that Canadians should “avoid non-essential travel outside Canada due to the risk of the Omicron variant that causes COVID-19.” Another government website states that “The Public Health Agency of Canada is advising travellers, regardless of their vaccination status, to avoid non-essential travel internationally.” Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos on Tuesday said the government would lower its travel health notice from level Read more
There’s growing evidence that Canada is open to changing its on-arrival testing program for international air travellers. A prominent tourism and business group yesterday called for on-arrival tests to be scrapped, arguing they’re not necessary and that tests should be redeployed to help make up for test shortages in Canadian communities. Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer, Theresa Tam, said later in the day that the policy will be evaluated “over time.” “It is a capacity drain on the system as a whole,” she said, acknowledging the concerns raised by the Canadian Travel and Tourism Roundtable group. “Tracking every case isn’t Read more
Canada’s Health Minister today warned Canadians that travelling outside the country is “risky and unstable.” He also said a formal “do not travel” warning could come later. Speaking to reporters in Ottawa, Jean-Yves Duclos said the Omicron variant around the world is making international travel difficult, and that coming home is increasingly complicated and unpredictable. Duclos said Canadians should be “more vigilant” when travelling outside the country. Omicron hasn’t been a major issue domestically, he said, but “If they think about travelling outside of Canada should be a red, a big red part of their radar screen. It should be flashing, Read more
