The federal government says it will resume mandatory random COVID-19 testing of international travellers arriving at four major airports next week.
Ottawa suspended random testing for fully vaccinated travellers last month after airport authorities urged the government to drop the program, saying it was causing long delays at airports. Testing remained in place for those not considered fully vaccinated.
Fully vaccinated travellers will once again be subject to mandatory testing, although the government is moving the testing out of airports to nearby off-site locations, such as pharmacies. Travellers also can book a virtual self-swab appointment.
Fully vaccinated travellers arriving in Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver and Montreal could undergo random testing starting Tuesday.
Passengers selected for random testing at one of the four major airports who have connecting flights to other cities in Canada will not have to leave the airport for a test prior to their transfer. These passengers can get tested at a participating location at their final destination, or through a virtual self-swab appointment, the government says.
To qualify as a fully vaccinated traveller, a person must have received two doses of a recognized vaccine (like Pfizer, Moderna or Astra-Zeneca) or one shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
www.cbc.ca/news/politics/mandatory-random-testing-resumes-airports-1.6520257