Canada to end random COVID-19 testing at airports
Canada’s federal government announced Friday it’s suspending random COVID-19 testing of international arrivals at all airports.
The program is being suspended from Saturday, June 11 until Saturday, June 30 — when current federal COVID-19 rules are set to expire.
In addition, COVID-19 testing for unvaccinated travellers won’t happen at the airport as of July 1, it will happen off-site.
In a news release, the Ministry of Transport billed the changes as something that would speed up wait times at Canada’s congested airports.
“We recognize that there is still work to be done, particularly for international arrivals at our largest airports, and we will continue to work with all orders of governments and partners to reduce the delays in the travel system.”
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The move comes as the US lifts its COVID-19 testing requirement for international arrivals this weekend.
Right now, anyone who land in Canada vaccinated or not may be subject to a random COVID-19 test as they pass through customs.