Canada to suspend random COVID testing to reduce airport wait times

OTTAWA, (Reuters) – Canada is suspending random COVID-19 testing at all its airports for the rest of June to ease the long wait times that travelers have encountered in recent weeks, a government statement said yesterday.

The random testing will be discontinued from today and will resume “off-site” on July 1, the statement said.

Random testing was blamed by some industry officials for lengthening already long wait times at airports. Toronto’s Pearson airport has had planes stuck at gates and hours-long security lines because of staffing shortages.

The government “recognizes the impact that significant wait times at some Canadian airports are having on travelers,” the statement said, adding that it would continue to “implement solutions to reduce delays as we approach the summer peak season.”