Canada to introduce mandatory temperature checks at airports

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that his government has planned to introduce mandatory temperature screening for passengers and employees at the country's airports.

"A passenger who has a fever will not be permitted to get on a flight," Trudeau said at a press conference in Ottawa on Friday.

The plan includes screening measures through a phased approach, first for those travelling to Canada, then for those from Canada, and finally for those within Canada, reports Xinhua news agency.

Employees in the secured areas of airports in the country will also be required to have their temperature checked.

In the past months, some Canadian airlines already have introduced temperature screening measures on their own.

Temperature checks at airports are expected to complement a number of measures already in place, including mandatory mask-wearing for all passengers and staff, enhanced cleaning protocols and physical distancing in airports.

"There are strong measures already in place to keep people safe. This screening will be yet another layer of protection," Trudeau said.

He said thermal screening is not a way of detecting COVID-19 in travellers but it is an additional measure that can highlight symptoms of COVID-19 or show that someone is ill and should not be travelling at all.