New rules that will make it easier and cheaper for Canadians to travel internationally amid the COVID-19 pandemic are now in effect.
Canadians were previously required to produce a negative molecular test upon re-entering the country but as of today travellers will instead be able to opt for a cheaper rapid antigen test so long as its administered or observed by a pharmacy, laboratory, healthcare entity or telehealth service and completed no more than one day before their departure flight or arrival at the land border.
The change is expected to make international travel a little easier, as rapid antigen test results can be available within 15 minutes and at a much lower cost than obtaining a molecular test, such as a PCR.
However, some public health experts have raised concerns about the effectiveness of rapid antigen tests should Canada face another wave of COVID-19 infections.
Federal health officials have also insisted that more strict travel measures could be reintroduced should the pandemic worsen.
“It feels like an attempted middle ground but I do have my certain doubts that the rapid antigen test is really going to help us to detect many cases. Even if supervised and done correctly, you know, there is a sensitivity problem with that kind of test, particularly with the Omicron variant and timing is also really important” UHN Infection Prevention and Control Director Dr. Susy Hota told CP24 on Monday morning. “It's always going to be incomplete as a measure. But it's just one other thing that you're adding to your policies to try and protect people and I don't think it's absolutely crucial at this point.”
The move to ease restrictions at the international board comes a little over two months after Canada removed a testing exception for trips of less than 72 hours.
So far the changes have been welcomed by representatives from the tourism industry but there continues to be calls for Canada to remove the requirement for pre-arrival testing altogether, including from a coalition of mayors from communities along the U.S.-Canada border.
“These test now are unnecessary and unneeded and it is an impediment to cross-border traffic,” Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley told CP24 on Monday. “I would hope that this will be dealt with this week by the federal government and I realize that there are lots of other issues they are dealing with right now but this is a very simple thing to do, especially as other things are changing today and tomorrow in Ontario. This is a remnant that is till there that is unnecessary and should be removed right away.”
In addition to changing the testing requirements to enter the country, the federal government has also changed its isolation rules so unvaccinated children under the age of 12 will no longer have to avoid schools, daycare and other crowded settings for 14 days following their return to Canada.
Fully vaccinated travellers selected for random testing at airports will also no longer have to quarantine while they await their results.
