Federal government lifts mandatory on-arrival testing and quarantine for air travellers

Lifting travel restrictions relief for aviation workers

TORONTO, ON, Feb. 18, 2022 – Unifor welcomes today’s announcement by the federal government to lift several travel restrictions as of Feb. 28, 2022.

In a news release the Government of Canada says, “Recent data indicates that the latest wave of COVID-19 driven by the Omicron variant has passed its peak in Canada. As provinces and territories adjust their public health measures, and as we transition away from the crisis phase, it is now time to move towards a more sustainable approach to long-term management of COVID-19.”

“Canadians are ready to travel for work and for pleasure,” said Scott Doherty, the Executive Assistant to the Unifor’s National President. “Having these rules lifted will not only encourage more people to want to travel, but it removes some of the red tape for those returning to Canada.”

Mandatory on-arrival testing and quarantine is no longer required for air travel. Upon landing in Canada, the government says travellers will be subjected to random arrival testing, without quarantining while awaiting results. PCR tests are also no longer mandated for entry to Canada. Instead, arriving travellers can show a negative Rapid Antigen Test result taken on the day of arrival, the same as for entry to the United States.

In addition, the Canadian government is downgrading the travel advisory and re-opening airports closed to international travel. The government will also be distributing free rapid tests at airports.

“Airline workers have been working tirelessly throughout the pandemic, and today’s announcement is welcome relief for all workers in the airline sector,” said Tammy Moore, Chair of Unifor’s Aviation Council and President of Unifor Local 2002, which represents 12,500 members in Canada’s aviation industry. “We have long been asking for a plan to get the industry back up and running safely and at full capacity.”

Unifor is Canada’s largest union in the private sector, representing 315,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives to create progressive change for a better future.

SOURCE Unifor

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