Ottawa close to removing pre-arrival COVID-19 test for fully vaccinated Canadian travellers: sources – CBC

Testing travellers is pointless due to Omicron’s ubiquitous spread, say some doctors

Feb 11, 2022

The federal government is close to removing mandatory PCR testing for fully vaccinated Canadians who travel outside Canada, sources tell CBC News.

Currently any person who travels outside the country must provide proof of a negative molecular test (such as a PCR test) prior to returning home. The test must be taken within 72 hours of scheduled departure on a flight or arrival at a land border.

At a news conference on Friday, Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos hinted at revisions coming to Canada’s travel rules. “Our government is actively reviewing the measures in place at our borders, and we should be able to communicate changes on this next week,” he said.

The news comes one day after two infectious diseases physicians joined forces with the travel industry to call for an end to Canada’s pre- and post-arrival testing requirements for fully vaccinated travellers.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/pcr-test-travel-canada-1.6347334