For international travelers, particularly those arriving from India, the Canadian government is reintroducing Covid-19 testing-related measures at four major airports across the nation as of Tuesday.
On July 19, it will reinstate the requirement for international travelers arriving at the airports in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, and Calgary to submit to random testing.
On June 11, that plan was put on hold because of the appalling conditions at Canadian airports, which included hours-long queue waits in addition to other difficulties.
Transport Canada did reveal on Friday that the random testing will be reinstated, however they would now be conducted elsewhere. Within 15 minutes of clearing customs, randomly selected arriving passengers will get an email message. The test will be done outside of the airport, either through a virtual appointment for a self-swab test or an in-person visit at specific testing provider locations and pharmacies. According to a department press statement, travelers who are not fully immunized must continue to test on Days 1 and 8 of their required 14-day quarantine, unless they are exempt.
In reality, the ArriveCan app is being expanded. It was created to allow travelers to upload their immunization status before flying to a Canadian destination. The software will let travelers arriving in Toronto or Vancouver to declare any applicable customs fees. When Rogers, a major Canadian telecommunications network, went down last Friday for more than 20 hours, travelers had problems accessing their digital paperwork, among other problems with the app.
According to Mark Weber, president of the Customs and Immigration Union, “As far as border officers are concerned, the last few months have proved that ArriveCAN neither enhances cross-border travel nor improves operational efficiency.” In a statement before a House of Commons committee in June. It actually has the exact opposite effect.
For the wrong reasons, the situation at Canadian airports has attracted attention worldwide. The reality of delayed flights & misplaced bags, as seen by Wimbledon men’s runner-up Nick Kyrgios and his girlfriend, was shared on his girlfriend’s Instagram account on Wednesday while they were passing through Toronto on their way to the Bahamas.
As stated in the Transport Canada announcement, “We are making progress, but obstacles remain,” such problems are far from being overcome. We keep updating Canadians on our progress while collaborating with partners in the aviation sector to minimize traffic and delays in the transportation system.
