The Canadian government said Wednesday that all airline passengers entering the country must have a negative coronavirus test within three days before they arrive in the country.
According to the website for the Ministry of Transport, the rule takes effect at 12:01 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 7, and applies to all air passengers over the age of five. Only molecular polymerase chain reaction (PCR) results will be accepted and the test must have been performed within 72 hours of the traveler's departure time.
Even with a negative test, passengers will still be required to begin a 14-day quarantine. Travelers must file their quarantine lodging plans and contact information via the ArriveCAN smartphone app or website. If a government official does not approve their quarantine plan, the traveler may be ordered to spend it at a federal facility.
Canada has already banned all flights from the United Kingdom because of the new variant of the coronavirus spreading there.
The decision to require negative tests for airline passengers came a day after the premier of Canada’s largest province said he had ordered his finance minister to end a Caribbean vacation he took at a time when the government is urging people to avoid nonessential travel.
