Ban on U.K. flights lifted by federal minister
Passengers returning to Canada must have proof of negative COVID-19 test
OTTAWA — Canada’s ban on flights from the United Kingdom is not being extended, but replaced by a stringent COVID-19 testing program for air travellers.
Canada halted most air travel from the U.K., where a mutated strain of COVID-19 had been discovered, on Dec. 20.
New rules that require passengers returning from abroad to show proof of negative COVID-19 test results will prevent the virus from bleeding across borders, Transport Minister Marc Garneau said.
Effective Thursday, passengers aged five and older must take a PCR test — the type of test common in Canada involving a deep nasal swab, and distinct from a rapid test.
The test has to be administered less than 72 hours before the scheduled departure, or 96 hours in the cases of 28 countries and territories, mainly in the Caribbean and South America, Garneau said at a virtual news conference. The fourday time frame for those 28 jurisdictions shrinks to three days as of Jan. 14, however.
Airlines say they were not initially consulted on the testing scheme, which they will be responsible for enforcing at check-in counters around the globe.
Cabinet ministers appealed to Canadians to stay on home turf as coronavirus case counts reach new daily highs, and as some federal and provincial politicians take heat and lose jobs over holiday trips abroad.
“We strongly, strongly, strongly recommend to avoid all nonessential travel outside of Canada,” said Foreign Affairs Minister François-Philippe Champagne. Airlines and passengers have raised concerns about testing capacity in some countries, with the fear that some travellers could wind up stranded overseas.