Re: COVID-19 testing prior to travel is not available to travelers from British Columbia, Canada
We recognize that some countries require COVID-19 testing or proof of negative test results prior to entry.
This letter is to inform you that at this time, COVID-19 testing for travel-related purposes is not available in British Columbia (BC), Canada.
In response to the pandemic, BC has successfully implemented a range of measures and methods to slow and prevent the spread of COVID-19. As a result, BC is among the jurisdictions globally that have low rates of COVID-19 transmission, with very low levels of COVID-19 infection in the general population.
BC’s COVID-19 testing guidelines are focused on targeted case-finding among individuals with compatible symptoms of COVID-19 infection, or who are potentially exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Accordingly, routine screening of people without symptoms for COVID-19 infection for any reason, including for travel, is not performed in BC. There are also no widely available options for travelers to pay privately for COVID-19 testing in British Columbia.
Sincerely,
Bonnie Henry MD, MPH, FRCPC
Provincial Health Officer
 |
Letter from the Provincial Health Officer on testing prior to travel in B.C. |