Transport Canada is issuing a warning to travellers thinking of falsifying their pre-flight COVID-19 test – do it and you’ll be fined thousands of dollars.
In a statement Thursday (May 6), officials confirmed two passengers were penalized after faking test results before boarding flights into Canada.
The first was charged $6,500 for presenting an “altered COVID-19 test” and knowingly boarding a flight to Toronto from the Dominican Republic Feb. 8.
“The passenger also made a false declaration to the air carrier about their health status,” states Transport Canada.
READ MORE: Travellers to pay mandatory test, hotel costs as Trudeau announces new COVID rules
Another person boarded a flight from the United States after tampering with test results on April 3. Their airplane landed in Toronto.
People must obtain a negative result on a COVID-19 test within three days of boarding any flight to Canada and present it to flight crews prior to boarding.
In January, two passengers on a separate flight from Mexico to Canada were fined $10,000 and $7,000 for providing faked COVID-19 test results.
“Air travellers are prohibited from knowingly providing false or misleading COVID-19 test documentation,” the statement reads.
“Any passenger failing to comply with the interim order could be subject to fines of up to $5,000 per violation.”
READ MORE: Police seize 1,500 fake COVID-19 tests being sold in B.C.
@sarahgrowch
sarah.grochowski@bpdigital.ca
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