NEW RAPID COVID-19 TEST
Alberta to host pilot project
A rapid-testing option that could shorten quarantines for international travellers from two weeks to two days will be piloted in Alberta, Premier Jason Kenney announced Thursday.
Starting Nov. 2, COVID-19 testing will be offered at the Coutts land border crossing and Calgary International Airport under a joint pilot project between the province and the federal government — the first in Canada.
Travellers can volunteer to get a COVID-19 test when they come into the country and receive results as quickly as 48 hours. If the test comes back negative, they would be allowed to leave quarantine if they agree to a second test at a participating community pharmacy six or seven days after arriving.
Canadian citizens returning to Alberta — and foreigners who are travelling for essential purposes, including essential workers — are eligible for the screening program.
Participants will be required to stay in Alberta for 14 days after arrival. They will be monitored closely through daily symptom checks, must wear masks in public places and avoid visiting high-risk groups.
Speaking via teleconference as he continues to self-isolate after being identified as a close contact of Municipal Affairs Minister Tracy Allard, Kenney said the pilot program could offer hope for the travel and tourism industry, which has ground to a halt as a result of the pandemic and the mandatory 14-day quarantine restriction implemented in March by the federal government.
“There has been no industry hit harder by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Kenney said. “We simply must move forward to develop policies to facilitate safe travel as a key part of economic recovery.”
Kenney tested negative late Wednesday, hours after Allard learned of her positive COVID-19 result, but is required to self-isolate until next Thursday because he is a close contact of a confirmed case.
Travellers entering Canada at Calgary International or through Coutts who don't participate would still need to quarantine for 14 days, but if the pilot program proves to be feasible, it could replace the federal two-week policy at other border crossings.
Bob Sartor, CEO of the Calgary Airport Authority, applauded the move, calling it a lifeline for the
airline and travel industry.
“This is the announcement that I've been waiting for, and we've been waiting for, for months,” he said at the announcement in Calgary.
Kenney said the province hoped to expand the pilot program to the Edmonton International Airport by the new year, but that would depend on the approval and co-operation of the Canadian government.
Ed Sims, CEO of Calgary-based Westjet, said it was the first piece of good news the airline has received since February.
“I sat on a Sunday afternoon watching our bookings get outstripped by cancellations and eventually fall by up to 95 per cent,” Sims said.
Meanwhile, a new fee-for-service testing program will be offered to travellers leaving the province so they can get COVID-19 results 72 hours before travelling. The tests, which will cost $150, will be provided by Dynalife Medical Labs.
Other private companies offer COVID-19 testing in Alberta, including Ichor Services, which for a fee of $120 targets a turnaround time between 48 and 72 hours.