Two flying from US to Canada fined $32,000 for fake vaccination cards, officials say

Two travelers who flew from the U.S. to Toronto, Canada last month have been fined for submitting fake vaccination cards and COVID-19 tests, according to officials.

Two passengers arrived the week of July 18 in Canada and were fined “for providing false information related to proof of vaccination credentials and pre-departure tests” and not complying with testing and quarantine requirements, the Public Health Agency of Canada said in a news release Friday.

They were fined around $16,000 each (about $20,000 in Canadian dollars,) according to authorities.

“The Government of Canada will continue to investigate incidents reported and will not hesitate to take enforcement action where it is warranted to protect the health of Canadians from the further spread of covid-19 and its variants of concern,” according to an agency statement.

Travelers who aren’t fully vaccinated against COVID are required in Canada to quarantine for three nights at an approved hotel and submit a quarantine plan, even if they’ve already tested negative for COVID. Passengers also have to submit a negative COVID test taken within 72 hours of the flight and get another COVID test upon arrival.

The agency hasn’t publicly released the names of the two travelers.

Canada reported 907 new coronavirus cases on July 30, according to Canada’s public health agency. The U.S. has more than 35 million coronavirus cases as of August 2, according to Johns Hopkins University. Canada has had 1.4 million confirmed cases and 26,561 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins.