Canada to introduce COVID-19 tests for all international travellers
Strict new entry requirements could become the new norm as countries chart a safe course to recovery.
By Bloomberg News, December 31 2020
Canada will now require anyone entering the country to obtain a negative COVID PCR test within three days before planned arrival.
Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs Dominic Leblanc announced the requirement in a press conference Wednesday.
The PCR test is an additional requirement that all arrivals to Canada must obtain in addition to completing a 14-day quarantine upon their arrival into the country.
The latest measure is an attempt to slow the spread of Covid-19 in the country comes as the US considers expanding COVID-19 testing for international passengers coming from other destinations in addition to the UK, in a bid to increase overseas travel.
Federal agencies have been in discussions with airlines about how to restore international air travel safely amid the pandemic.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said last week that passengers flying to the US from the UK must test negative for the coronavirus before departing, following the discovery of a new variant of the disease that spreads more rapidly.
“Efforts are currently ongoing in the US to assess the risk reduction associated with testing and other recommended preventative measures, determine what a feasible testing regime for air travel may look like, and gain some level of agreement on standards for a harmonized approach to testing for international air travel,” the CDC said in a statement Wednesday.
Airlines for America, a lobbying group, said it has been “advocating for the federal government to set a national standard on testing in order to lift travel restrictions” on flyers.
“We are working collaboratively with federal authorities to restore international travel with pre-flight Covid testing,” said Carter Yang, a spokesman for the group.
The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that it would “continue to work with our government partners as the situation evolves.”
The CDC now recommends that air travelers test negative for the virus one to three days before flying and again three to five days after travel.
The agency says testing is critical to make renewed travel safe and to slow spread of the Covid virus.
This article is published under license from Bloomberg Media: the original article can be viewed here
09 May 2020
Total posts 569
It will be interesting to know how UK is going to cope with those travellers to US trying to access PCR testing in a healthcare market dominated by the NHS, and hence an expectation that something magical happens and the private pathology lab there will step up to provide an efficient service at a reasonable price
While so far I don’t seem to hear problems with Etihad and Emirates pax from UAE’s Covid test rules since July, the US is entirely different situation with far more pax affected over many airlines and it will be interesting to watch how it will work.
09 May 2020
Total posts 569
And yes I know Canada is not the US
Qantas
19 Apr 2012
Total posts 1429
This is very similar if not belated to Australia. Does Canada PCR test day 3 and day 11 as well. Australia should ask for a pre travel test as well to avoid people being symptomatic on arrival, which would then involve medical quarantine which is more tricky and expensive.
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