Yeonwoo Choi / Staff reporter
On December 31, 2022, the Government of Canada declared, “Air travellers two years of age and older will be required to present a negative COVID-19 test before departing for Canada”, Public Health Agency of Canada. They state that this is in response to the current surge of COVID-19 cases in China and the lack of data on the “epidemiological and viral genomic sequence,”, Public Health Agency of Canada. This temporary requirement took place on January 5, 2023.
Regardless of nationality or vaccination status, air travellers on flights from China, Hong Kong, or Macao will need to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test result taken no more than 2 days prior to departure.
“Passengers who tested positive more than 10 days before their departure flight, but no more than 90 days, can provide the airline with documentation of their prior positive, in place of a negative test result,”, Public Health Agency of Canada.
This new requirement does not apply to travellers with connecting flights through China and have stayed there for no more than 24 hours.
These extra measures are currently only in place for 30 days and will be reassessed as more data and evidence becomes available.
Similar decisions were also made in other countries such as the United States, Japan, and United Kingdom on travellers coming from China.
There are many critiques on this decision. Chinese state media has called these COVID-19 test requirements discriminatory. Some infections disease specialists have criticized the government of Canada’s approach of mandatory testing for air travellers from China as “’performative’ and largely ineffective, in part because of the amount of COVID-19 already circulating in Canada,”, Michael Lee, CTVnews.ca writer. Dr. Isaac Bogoch, University of Toronto infectious disease specialist, made a post on twitter saying, “Really, Canada? No need to jump on the bandwagon of performative measures. This will not keep us any safer. Want to understand which variants are circulating & from where? Then screen wastewater in planes & airports,”.
“Since the start, our government has taken the necessary steps to keep Canadians safe in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic,”
Jean-Yves Duclos, Health Minister
Additionally, travellers will be asked at primary Inspection Kiosks and e-Gates, or when making a customs declaration using the Advance CBSA Declaration prior to arriving at airports in Canada, if they have traveled to China, Hong Kong, or Macao in the last 10 days. If they have, they will be provided additional public health information “on transmission of COVID-19, personal protective measures and what to do if they develop symptoms of COVID-19”, Lee.
Sources
Canada to require negative COVID-19 test for air travellers coming from China
COVID-19 pre-boarding test requirements for air travel from China, Hong Kong and Macao