Canadians returning home from Jamaica this week have been exempted from producing a negative PCR test before leaving the destination as now required by the Canadian government.

The special measure, reportedly initiated by WestJet with the Canadian government, allows passengers travelling through Jan. 18 to instead pass a PCR test upon arrival in Toronto and subsequently adhere to existing (14-day) quarantine protocols.

Reports on the weekend said Air Canada passengers have been extended the same exemption.

“The development comes amid reports that numerous Canadians have been stranded in Jamaica because they are unable to obtain PCR tests locally as the laboratories are not able to meet the demand,” reported The Gleaner newspaper in Jamaica on Saturday.

In a letter to passengers, WestJet similarly referenced “limitations in PCR test availability in Jamaica.”

WestJet further stated that passengers arriving in Toronto must undergo a PCR test after clearing customs at YYZ before leaving the airport or connecting to another domestic flight. Notably, Pearson International and the Ontario government launched a voluntary testing program at the Toronto airport on Jan. 6.

The carrier further advised passengers to contact their travel agent directly to rebook flights within the prescribed time frame if required.

The Canadian government has been roundly criticized across the travel industry for the last-minute nature of its new testing requirements as well as lack of consultation with industry stakeholders, such as airlines, including WestJet, whose president and CEO Ed Sims last week called the Canadian government initiative “incoherent and inconsistent.”

ACTA president Wendy Paradis added, “The extremely tight deadline to ensure that airlines have processes in place and for travel agents to notify clients already in transit about the new requirements are unrealistic and have created chaos for travellers and the industry.”

Meanwhile on the weekend, Jamaica Tourist Board Canada director Angella Bennett posted a list of Jamaican test facilities on Facebook, which includes MicroLabs, which has introduced a special “portal” for Canadians (https://microlabs.limited/canada-visitor-portal), who are instructed to make an appointment online, which will be conducted in person at their hotel.