The Ontario government is launching a COVID-19 testing program at Toronto Pearson International Airport beginning on January 6, 2021. This pilot program will offer free voluntary tests for international passengers arriving in Canada. Testing will be made available at both Terminal 1 and Terminal 3, administered by Switch Health. To learn more, visit our testing webpage.
This Arrivals Testing Pilot Program is another layer of protection for Ontario communities, part of the Healthy Airport program that is helping to limit the spread of COVID-19.
This airport testing pilot program is an important first step, which may also help inform the development of future testing programs for broader implementation to support the eventual safe reopening of borders.
Ontario’s airport testing pilot program is in addition to the new Government of Canada pre-departure requirement for travellers bound to Canada to demonstrate proof of negative COVID-19 results from a test taken within three days prior to departure.
This Pilot Program is supported by evidence collected in a McMaster HealthLabs research study, more than 40,000 tests on more than 16,000 people were conducted and interim results—based on 20,000 tests on more than 8,600 participants—found that 99% of study participants tested negative for COVID-19. Of the 1% testing positive, 0.7% were detected on arrival on Day 1 and 0.3% were detected on Day 7.