Canadian Airports to Begin Mandatory Temperature Screenings
As the world continues striving to be a safer place amid COVID-19, many hotels, restaurants, airports and more are implementing new procedures to help reduce the spread of the virus.
According to Transport Canada, late last week, Canadian airports nationwide added a new measure to the ones already in place—all passengers departing from or entering a Canadian airport, whether flying internationally or domestically, are now required to undergo a temperature screening.
“As Minister of Transport, my highest priority is the safety and security of Canadians and the transportation system. We have already introduced measures to reduce the risk of the spread of COVID-19, including mandating face coverings and publishing health guidance for the air industry. Mandatory temperature screenings are yet another measure in our multi-layered approach to help protect the safety of the traveling public and air industry workers,” said Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport.
The new screening process will be introduced in three phases.
Phase 1 is set to be completed by June 30 and requires that all air operators screen passengers prior to departure from international or transborder airports.
Phase 2, which will be implemented by the end of July, includes placing temperature screening stations in the departure section of Canada’s four major international airports—Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver.
Phase 3 will be completed by September and notes that the country will see temperature screening stations in the departure section of the 11 next busiest airports, including St. John’s, Halifax, Quebec City, Ottawa, Toronto (Billy Bishop), Winnipeg, Regina, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Kelowna and Victoria.
Additionally, passengers with an elevated temperature will not be allowed to continue traveling and will be asked to rebook after 14 days. However, exceptions will be made for passengers that can provide a medical certificate explaining a prior condition that would result in an elevated temperature.