'Never asked': B.C. couple claims COVID-19 documentation wasn't checked on international flight
A British Columbia man says he and his wife weren't asked for proof of vaccination or for negative COVID-19 tests on a flight from Cabo San Lucas to Calgary this week.
Ken Poirier said everyone on his flight from Mexico was left unchecked, and he's now wondering why he spent the time and money getting a COVID-19 test done if it went unused.
"Nobody ever asked us anything about COVID-19," Poirier told CTV News. "Not for our (vaccine) passports, not for the negative test report, nothing."
"I could've saved myself $80 US and not done it and nobody would ever be the wiser."
Poirier said he and his wife took the trip because they are both fully vaccinated and wanted to get out of the country.
"So the vaccinations and the testing process and that was supposed to be the safety gap where we could feel comfortable knowing that everybody on the plane is protected," Poirier said. "But that wasn't the case."
The airline said it is investigating the allegations.
"Most certainly we are looking into it and we are going to see what the situation was, specifically in Mexico," WestJet public relations manager Morgan Bell said. "(We want to find out) why that situation may not have been consistent with all of the other experiences that we're having."
The Canada Border Service Agency (CBSA) says the onus falls on air carriers to check documentation.
However, spokesperson Rebecca Purdy also wrote that "the mandatory digital submission of information via the ArriveCAN app prior to entry to Canada assists the CBSA to systematically identify fully-vaccinated travellers, and has reduced the need for travellers to provide paper documentation on arrival."
Bell echoed that proof of vaccination on the app is technically a legal attestation, but Westjet passengers are typically checked again.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.