Province mulling over mandatory COVID-19 tests for international passengers at Pearson

By News Staff

The province is considering an order that would force international passengers arriving at Toronto Pearson International Airport to submit COVID-19 tests.

The move is being driven by concerns that the federal government isn’t moving fast enough on border restrictions, at a time when vaccines are in short supply, and new variants pose an increased threat to health and hospital capacity.


RELATED: Ford government want mandatory testing for international passengers, temporary ban on certain flights


A testing pilot project at Pearson found just more than two percent of those arriving at the airport from international destinations tested positive for the virus.

A source tells 680 NEWS that the order would come under Section 22 of Ontario’s Health Protection and Promotion Act, which would mandate the tests.

On Thursday, Markham mayor Frank Scarpitti announced a motion was passed to request the federal government implement greater travel restrictions from countries with high volumes of COVID-19 variants, such as, but not limited to the UK, Brazil, and South Africa.

Air Transat announced that it is suspending all flights from Toronto until Apr. 30.

The airline says travel restrictions and measures imposed by the federal government, including the requirement to present a negative COVID-19 test and to quarantine upon return to Canada, have impacted its operations.

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