The government of Canada has announced the resumption of mandatory random COVID-19 testing on arrivals at the international airports of Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Toronto, from July 19, for all incoming travellers, including fully vaccinated visitors.
In a release, the government said it had temporarily paused mandatory random testing on air arrivals on June 11 as part of a broader strategy to transition testing for air travellers outside of the airports.
The random testing for both fully vaccinated and unvaccinated, will now be completed outside of airports, either via an in-person appointment at selected testing provider locations and pharmacies, or a virtual appointment for a self-swab test. Travellers who do not qualify as fully vaccinated, unless exempt, must continue to test on Day 1 and Day 8 of their quarantine.
Mandatory random testing continues at land borders.
The government says data from the testing programme is used to understand the current level and trends of importation of COVID-19, and continues to inform the country’s safe easing of border measures.
Visitors whose random arrival test result is positive are required to isolate for 10 days, following the federal guidelines.
However, the government announced it would resume testing fully vaccinated travellers in order to detect new COVID variants.
To qualify as a fully vaxxed traveller to Canada, the traveller must have been vaccinated with a primary series of a COVID-19 vaccine accepted by the Government of Canada for the purpose of travel, at least 14 calendar days before entering Canada.
Unvaccinated travellers have a mandatory 14-day quarantine on arrival.
