New Canadian Airport Regulations For Covid 19. 

New Airport Covid 19 Procedures.

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has advised that passengers travelling by plane to, from or within Canada will soon have to undergo temperature checks before boarding as part of stepped-up airport screening measures meant to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by travellers, said today.

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The government is mandating temperature screening for air passengers through a phased approach, first for those travelling to Canada, then for those travelling from Canada, and finally for those travelling within Canada, this screening will add yet another layer of protection.

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Trudeau said any passenger who is found to have a fever will not be permitted to board a flight. Employees who work in secured areas of airports also will be required to undergo temperature checks.

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The volume and interconnectedness of global travel is widely seen as one of the main factors behind the virus's rapid spread around the world. There are currently over 7.5 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide, in almost 200 countries, according to a database maintained by Johns Hopkins University.

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Transport Minister Marc Garneau said all passengers boarding international flights to Canada will have their temperatures checked at their departing airports starting later this month.

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Screening for passengers on domestic flights and for those travelling from Canada to other countries will be in place at the country's four largest airports by the end of July, followed by the next 11 largest airports by the end of September, the minister said. Screening will be conducted at security checkpoints by Canadian Air Transport Security Authority staff.

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If a first check finds a would-be traveller has a fever, his or her temperature will be taken again in 10 minutes. Anyone found with a fever in both checks will not be allowed to fly unless they have a medical document providing a rationale.

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Passengers prevented from boarding will have the opportunity to rebook their flights at no extra cost — as long as the rebooked flight departs at least 14 days later.

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Foreign airlines will take temperature measurements ... to make sure they minimize the possibility of reducing the virus into the country.It will take longer to purchase the equipment and set up the procedures to screen people taking domestic flights.

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Temperature checks will complement a number of measures already in place at airports — including mandatory mask-wearing for all passengers and staff, health screening questionnaires, enhanced cleaning protocols and physical distancing in airports.

Government previously resisted temperature checks.

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The introduction of temperature checks marks a reversal for the Liberal government, which had resisted introducing them. Both Trudeau and Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam have said there is not enough scientific evidence to support the efficacy of temperature checks.

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A 2005 report, co-written by Tam, that examined border screening measures during the SARS epidemic found that no SARS cases were detected at airports despite intensive efforts to screen airplane passengers at selected airports for symptoms and signs of the virus.

Garneau said today that comparisons to SARS are limited by the fact that it infected a relatively small number of people compared to the novel coronavirus. Just over 8,000 people were infected with SARS between November 2002 and July 2003, according to the World Health Organization.

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"It is part of a layered approach and if a person does have a fever and has ... the coronavirus, there are very high probabilities we will detect that and that way we can protect Canadians from the spread of this virus," said Garneau.

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Garneau also pointed out that two international aviation organizations — the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) — recommended travellers undergo temperature screening at airports in separate guidelines released at the beginning of June.

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