As of Thursday, March 4, Canadians or permanent residents who are non-essential travelers returning home at the Blue Water Bridge, will have to take a COVID-19 swab test upon arrival.
Those coming into the country will also be given a self-swab kit, to be used on day 10 of their 14-day mandatory quarantine period.
Sarnia-Lambton MP Marilyn Gladu said it's about time land border testing was implemented.
"I think the government has been late on every measure, whether you want to talk about rapid testing or vaccines or implementing border controls," said Gladu. "If we're going to get our economy reopened, we need to make sure that we have rapid tests in place for people coming in from out-of-country. We should be doing what most of the G-7 nations are doing, and that is testing people, having them quarantine until they get their negative test result, and testing again after a certain period of time. Then we have to make sure people are free to move but that the vulnerable are protected."
Gladu said it brings Ontario a step closer to implementation of a program that she thinks works well at an Alberta crossing.
"I've been working with the minister of cross-border, and the minister of health, trying to get a pilot program that was implemented at the Coutts border crossing in Alberta implemented here," she said. "People would get COVID tests and then ultimately not have to quarantine. This is a step in that direction."
There are exemptions to the land border testing, including those who have tested positive 14 to 90 days before travel, those needing regular cross-border medical treatments, essential workers, cross-border students and those with cross-border custody arrangements.
Blue Water Bridge is one of 16 border testing sites across Canada, established to slow the spread of the virus and variants of concern.
