Toronto Pearson still not testing all international travellers, waiting for start date from government
Days after the Canadian government announced mandatory COVID-19 testing for all international travellers, the new program is still not in place at Toronto Pearson.
Officials announced Tuesday that all international travellers, with the exception of the U.S., returning to Canada would be required to take a COVID-19 test and isolate at home until they received the results.
The government said the "unprecedented and swift action" was taken to protect Canadians against the omicron variant.
"We are taking quick action at our borders to mitigate travel related importations of the Omicron variant," Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said Tuesday.
But four days later, Toronto Pearson said they are still waiting for a date from the federal government about when the new testing program will come into effect.
Until the program comes into effect, COVID-19 testing of international travellers only happens randomly and vaccinated travellers do not need to isolate.
"More information will be available in the coming days," a spokesperson for Toronto Pearson told CTV News Toronto on Saturday. "Not all passengers are being tested yet because the government needs more time to put the infrastructure in place."
A spokesperson for Health Canada also confirmed it will take a few more days before all travellers can be tested.
"We are ramping up our capacity quickly, and testing more and more travelers every day," a spokesperson said.
When the mandatory testing program comes into effect, the government said it can take up to three days to receive test results.
Those who are unvaccinated will continue to isolate at home for a full 14 days and take another test on day eight of their quarantine.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.