The federal government announced that starting Tuesday, July 19, 2022 it will resume random COVID-19 testing for fully vaccinated international travellers arriving in Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver and Montreal. When a traveller is randomly selected for COVID-19 testing, it is mandatory that they comply with the request.
The announcement comes a month after the government temporarily suspended the randomized COVID-19 arrival testing for incoming travellers at Canadian airports. As COVID-19 cases begin to resurge, the government maintains that random testing for air travellers arriving to Canada is required to detect new variants.
Testing sites will soon move out of airports to nearby off-site locations. However, passengers selected for random testing who have connecting flights to other Canadian cities will not have to leave the airport to take a test prior to their connection. Randomly selected passengers can take a test at a participating location at their final destination or through a virtual self-swab appointment. Fully vaccinated and unvaccinated travellers may be selected. Travellers selected for random testing must take a test within one day of their arrival in Canada. Travellers are not required to quarantine while awaiting testing results. If results are positive, quarantine or isolation may be ordered.
We will continue to monitor developments in this space as we emerge from the pandemic. If you have any questions about travel requirements, contact a member of our immigration team.
Note: This article is of a general nature only and is not exhaustive of all possible legal rights or remedies. In addition, laws may change over time and should be interpreted only in the context of particular circumstances such that these materials are not intended to be relied upon or taken as legal advice or opinion. Readers should consult a legal professional for specific advice in any particular situation.