Ontario ends free COVID-19 testing for international travel
Ontario #Ontario
International travelers will now be expected to pay for a coronavirus test to get the green light to fly out of Ontario, the minister of health said.
“As the trajectory of the COVID-19 pandemic has changed, we have continued to adapt our approach to testing and the services we have made available,” Christine Elliott, deputy premier and minister of health said in a statement Monday.
“While international travelers are no longer eligible to receive a publicly funded COVID-19 test, we remain committed to ensuring that anyone who needs a test can get one quickly, at no cost.”
The new regulations went into effect Friday. Now, anyone in need of a COVID test before flying internationally must seek out tests locally, which cost just under $200 plus tax.
The news comes as the historic first COVID-19 vaccines were released in Canada Monday, along with the United States. Canada’s first vaccines were administered in Ontario and Quebec on Monday after shipments of the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccines arrived Sunday evening.
Ontario reported 1,940 COVID cases and nearly 57,100 tests completed, Elliott said Monday.
Anyone traveling into Canada must adhere to a 14-day quarantine.