Travellers coming to Canada from China will have to present a negative COVID-19 test taken within the last two days before they are allowed into the country, the federal government announced Saturday..Canada now joins a host of others demanding the negative test as a surge of COVID-19 hits China. The worries are heightened as many of the infections are new variants.."Since the start, our government has taken the necessary steps to keep Canadians safe in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our actions continue to be guided by prudence and we will not hesitate to adjust measures to protect the health and safety of Canadians. I encourage everyone to stay up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccinations and to continue to exercise personal protective health measures, like wearing a mask in crowded indoor spaces and staying home when sick," said Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos..The travel restrictions include people coming in from Hong Kong or Macao..The new rules come into effect as of 12:01 a.m. EST on January 5..The test could be either a negative molecular (such as a PCR test), or a negative antigen test that has documentation to show that it has been monitored by a telehealth service or an accredited laboratory or testing provider. 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..The rules will apply regardless of nationality and vaccination status and will be in place for at least 30 days..The Public Health Agency of Canada is putting in place a pilot project on wastewater testing from aircrafts with Vancouver International Airport, and expanding the existing project with Toronto Pearson International Airport, to assess the COVID-19 prevalence from various regions of the world.."The safety of travellers and the transportation industry remain top priorities. Our Government continues to take unprecedented action to protect the health and safety of Canadians by introducing measures to prevent further introduction and transmission of COVID-19 into Canada. We will adapt our measures based on available data, the science, and the epidemiological situation in our country and globally to protect Canadians," said Transportation Minister Omar Alghabra.
