Canadian airports restart random COVID-19 testing for International arrivals

Canada has resumed mandatory random testing for fully vaccinated air travelers after a five-week break.

On June 11, Canada paused random testing at airports, and resumed it on July 19. The four major Canadian airports of Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal, and Toronto will resume testing.

A random test notification will be sent to those selected within 15 minutes following the completion of their customs declaration, explaining how to schedule one. Those who do not qualify as fully vaccinated can still comply with quarantine requirements by completing their tests by virtual appointment or in-person appointment at select pharmacies.

Travellers who receive a positive arrival test must be isolated for 10 days from the date of the test result, regardless of which province or territory has a shorter isolation requirement.

In order to be considered fully vaccinated, travellers must have received two doses of an approved COVID-19 vaccine, or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, at least 14 days before entering Canada.

No matter the vaccination status of an individual, the testing will take place outside of the airport, either in-person at a testing provider location, or virtually through a self-swab. Those who do not qualify for full vaccination must complete a 14-day quarantine and test themselves on days one and eight.

All travellers must continue to use ArriveCAN to provide mandatory travel information within 72 hours before their arrival in Canada, with few exceptions.

In an official press release, the Canadian government said moving testing outside of airports will enable it to monitor and respond to new variants and other epidemiological changes.

According to Transport Minister Omar Alghabra, “As travel demand across the world increases, today’s announcement marks an important step forward in reducing testing time outside our airports and preventing the spread of COVID-19.” The Canadian government will continue to safeguard travellers and employees, ensuring our transportation system is safe, reliable, and resilient.