Breaking: Canada Will Require Negative COVID-19 Test Before Entry
Update 2: Minister of Transport in CBC interview a few minutes ago: Rules will be in place ‘within about a week’. Those arriving without a test will need to go to government approved center until they can be tested.
Update: Although it was reported that the Minister of Transport would make an announcement regarding start date, no such announcement was made; so at this time it is unknown when the 72-hour requirement will begin.
Richard Zussman, a Global BC reporter just broke that the Canadian government will require arriving passengers from outside the country to have a negative COVID test three days (72 hours) before arriving into the country.
BREAKING – Canadian Government will require arriving passengers from outside of the country to have a negative COVID test three days before arriving into the country. #bcpoli #cdnpoli
— Richard Zussman (@richardzussman) December 30, 2020
Video of announcement
How this will impact entry requirements
What is known is, as before, all passengers will still be required to quarantine or self isolate for 14 days upon arrival. Also only Canadian citizens, residents, and certain essential travelers are allowed to enter the country. Those requirements do not appear to be changing at this time. So only those who were previously eligible to enter Canada are impacted that they now need to acquire a negative COVID test within 72 hours of arrival, and they will still need to quarantine after arrival.
What about the Alberta's testing pilot program?
That is also not changing. Calgary International Airport (YYC) and Coutts land border crossing are still participating in the pilot program, where those with a negative test upon arrival can bypass the 14 day quarantine – with the exception of arrivals from UK or South Africa, who still need to quarantine for 14 days even with a negative test upon arrival. Canada currently has an existing UK flight ban that will last for another week.
