Two people have been fined thousands of dollars after federal officials allege they showed altered COVID-19 test results before boarding flights to Toronto. Transport Canada says one passenger was fined $2,500 for allegedly presenting an altered test before flying from the Dominican Republic on Feb. 8.

It says another passenger was fined $6,500 for allegedly presenting an altered test before a flight from the US on April 3.

The agency alleges that passenger also made a false declaration to the air carrier about their health status.

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.

The government requires air travellers to obtain a negative result on a molecular COVID-19 test within 72 hours of boarding a flight to Canada.

“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.”

Airlines are instructed to refuse boarding to travellers who fail to meet that condition.

The Canada Border Services Agency said in March it had intercepted 30 people faking their COVID-19 test results to get into the country since January 2021.

It’s not the first time Transport Canada has issued fines for travellers faking their test results.

In February, transport officials fined a passenger on a flight from Germany to Canada $2,500 for making a false declaration about their health status, and for not respecting the mandatory quarantine in place for travellers coming into the country.

A passenger flying from Mexico to Canada was fined $1,000 in January, for not providing a test done within 72 hours of the scheduled departure time, while two passengers on a separate flight from Mexico to Canada were fined $10,000 and $7,000 for providing faked COVID-19 test results.