Trudeau Airport is too small to screen everyone for COVID-19: Aéroports de Montréal

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Montreal’s Trudeau Airport does not have the space to safely screen all international travelers for COVID-19, so the airport authority is urging Ottawa to allow the majority of incoming passengers to use tests in home instead.

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“With the volumes expected for the holiday season, we obviously anticipate significant delays in the processing of passengers, who will have to wait in spaces that are not adapted to accommodate high-volume clinics,” said Eric Forest, communications advisor for Aéroports de Montréal. .

In an attempt to reduce the spread of the Omicron variant, Canada requires all air travelers to be tested for COVID-19 upon arrival and self-isolate while awaiting results. Travelers flying from the US are exempt from the new policy.

The screening is applied to all travelers, vaccinated or not.

Federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos acknowledged that not all airports have space to screen all incoming passengers and said other arrangements are being made.

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New travel rules announced last week by the US government are causing confusion and distress among some Quebecers flying to the United States this month.

Starting this week, Canadians and all other foreign visitors flying to the US must submit a negative COVID-19 test taken no later than 24 hours prior to their departure.

The US government reduced its previous 72-hour testing window as part of new public health measures to try to slow the spread of the Omicron variant.

“Whenever there is a change or a new rule, there is a sense of panic about it,” said Daniel Selcer, who created Go Test Rapide in April. “Last week, we saw an increase in customer service.”

The company conducts between 1,200 and 1,500 COVID-19 tests daily at its walk-in and self-service testing sites in Montreal, said Daniel Gurman, Selcer’s business partner.

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The new rule does not apply to Canadians crossing into the US through the land border.

Canadians can visit the US and return home without taking a COVID-19 if they arrive at the Canadian border within 72 hours of departure.

All travelers entering Canada must enter their travel information and vaccination status in the ArriveCan app.

US citizens are not required to take a COVID-19 test to enter the US.

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