2 Airline Passengers Fined Thousands Each After Using Fake Vaccine Cards

Two travelers leaving the U.S. and entering Canada were fined thousands after submitting fraudulent vaccination cards and COVID-19 test results.

The passengers, who have not been publicly identified, are also reported to have not utilized government-authorized accommodations, which is a requirement put in place by the Canadian government.

Roughly two weeks ago, as reported by NBC News’ Tim Stelloh on Monday evening, the passengers—both of whom are Canadian citizens—traveled to Toronto. In doing so, they have now become the first documented case of airline passengers using fake vaccination cards to enter Canada.

In a press release, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) said it had issued fines to two passengers arriving in Toronto from the U.S. during the week of July 18 for “non-compliant with entry requirements.” Each traveler was handed down four fines, totaling roughly $16,000 ( or nearly $20,000 Canadian) for both.

The travelers were specifically fined for providing false information related to proof of vaccination credentials and pre-departure tests, as well as non-compliance with government-authorized accommodation and on-arrival testing requirements.

Complex has reached out a rep for PHAC for additional comment and will update this post accordingly. As PHAC noted in their press release, violating any quarantine or isolation instructions” provided to travelers when entering Canada is an offense under the Quarantine Act, which means it could end up resulting in a fine of thousands for each day of non-compliance or for each offense. Meanwhile, a person using fake documents pertaining to vaccines is subject to a fine of hundreds of thousands of dollars and/or imprisonment.