OTTAWA –
The federal government is bringing back mandatory random testing for COVID-19 for air travelers coming to Canada, effective July 19.
A little more than a month after the measure was suspended, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) announced Thursday that it will re-introduce random testing of fully vaccinated air passengers arriving in the country at four major Canadian airports: Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Toronto.
Testing will take place off-site, either in person at “select test provider and pharmacy locations,” or using virtual appointments and self-scratch tests. The ArriveCAN app will make random selections and passengers will receive an email within 15 minutes of completing their customs declaration detailing how to arrange their tests and how long they should be quarantined for.
Mandatory random testing only applies to fully vaccinated passengers. Unless exempted, unvaccinated travelers will still need to be tested on days one and eight of their mandatory 14-day quarantine. If a fully vaccinated traveler tests positive, a 10-day isolation period is required, regardless of the province or territory in which the traveler resides.
Mandatory random testing continues at land border crossings, the government added.
“We must maintain border testing measures because this is how we track the importation of the COVID-19 virus and the new variants that cause concern,” Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said in a statement. “We will continue to adapt our border measures to balance the need to protect Canadians while supporting our economic recovery.”
According to Duclos’ office, PHAC will contact travelers to make sure they’ve completed their tests and issue warnings — plus possible fines — to travelers who don’t comply.
Roughly four or five percent of travelers entering Canada will be randomly selected for testing, providing a sample of the entire population, the minister’s office told CTV News.
There is no change at land borders, where mandatory random testing has never been stopped.
With files from CTV News’ Mike Le Coutre and Rachel Aiello
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