Here's Everything Changing At Toronto Pearson Airport As Canada Drops Travel Restrictions
The day has finally arrived. Canada's travel restrictions are ending, and Toronto's Pearson Airport will return to its pre-pandemic protocol.
On Monday, September 26, the federal government confirmed that Covid-related travel rules in Canada would be scrapped starting on Saturday, October 1.
At a press conference, Transport Minister Omar Alghabra announced that they "are removing COVID-19 measures that remain at the border."
In other words, starting next month, travellers won't be required to prove their COVID-19 vaccination status, use ArriveCAN or undergo random testing on arrival in Canada.
A Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) spokesperson told Narcity in an email that they are "pleased with today's announcement from the Government of Canada that it is lifting remaining border measures including mandatory masking and COVID testing."
What does this mean? Well, you'll be able to walk around the airport without wearing a mask, and you won't need to undergo COVID-19 testing, which was brought back in July.
Additionally, people on planes and trains will no longer be required to wear face coverings or masks on their journeys, regardless of their vaccination status, Alghabra also stated.
Canada Dropping All COVID-19 Border Requirements #shortswww.youtube.com
The GTAA spokesperson added that their industry "faced unprecedented challenges during the pandemic due to strict health measures and regulations that impacted operations."
Now that the travel restrictions have ended, GTAA hopes that "Canada will retake its globally competitive ranking as a travel and tourism hub."
"Toronto Pearson and its industry partners continue to focus on improving the passenger experience at airports," GTAA added.
Last week, Toronto's Pearson Airport ranked super low for customer satisfaction in North America, according to a survey. Not a good look.
Here's to hoping things only get better.
