Mandatory random testing returns to four major airports in Canada starting today

Random testing has been reinstated starting today at four major airports in Canada, including Pearson International airport in Toronto.

Anyone who is required to test will receive an email within 15 minutes of handing in their customs forms.

All testing is done off-site and can either be done in-person at a testing centre, or by a virtual appointment for a swab test.

If a person tests positive, they will have to quarantine for 10 days. All unvaccinated travelers will also need to follow testing and quarantine requirements.

On June 11, mandatory random testing was dropped as the government faced mounting pressure to do something about the long wait times at airports across the country. The government announced the resumption of mandatory random testing on July 14.

The four major airports that will require random testing starting today include in Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Toronto.

“As we have said all along, Canada’s border measures will remain flexible and adaptable, guided by science and prudence,” said Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, in a statement from July 14. “We need to keep border testing measures in place because that is how we track importation of the COVID-19 virus, and of new variants of concern. We will keep adapting our border measures to balance the need to protect Canadians while supporting our economic recovery.”