Alleluia!!! Removing pre arrival covid 19 testing is on the horizon

[pigletto]

100% sure that's the point, they don't want us to travel. The price we pay for traveling is that it's extra complicated for now.

That isn’t true.
From the government website:

The Government of Canada will adjust its Travel Health Notice from a Level 3 to a Level 2. This means that the Government will no longer recommend that Canadians avoid travel for non-essential purposes.

And further down the page :

We are committed to a safe reopening; one that provides predictability, flexibility and shows the world that Canada is one of the safest places to travel. Travel is safe and will continue to be safe in Canada.

It’s frustrating to have to keep testing and I get that. It’s part of a phased reopening and hopefully these measures will be eased further as we progress.

 

[Sue M]

You don't have to be flying with them (at least you didn't in the past). If you are an Aeroplan account, you get a discount - https://switchhealth.ca/en/partners/aeroplan/

There is an option to say that you don't have an Aeroplan number and it just changes the pricing (but you can also just sign up for Aeroplan to get the discount).

I am a member. I just haven’t flown with them in years. The last 3 times were not good.

 

[greenclan67]

Available through Air Canada. You test anywhere you wish (hotel room). $39 rapid test. $149 PCR. They ship them to your house and you take them with you and test via a smart phone with a live agent

Are these ok to use if we are flying from USA and back to USA then crossing at land border?

 

[pigletto]

Are these ok to use if we are flying from USA and back to USA then crossing at land border?

Hmmm.. good question. I would I hope so.

 

[starlite_]

That isn’t true.
From the government website:

The Government of Canada will adjust its Travel Health Notice from a Level 3 to a Level 2. This means that the Government will no longer recommend that Canadians avoid travel for non-essential purposes.

And further down the page :

We are committed to a safe reopening; one that provides predictability, flexibility and shows the world that Canada is one of the safest places to travel. Travel is safe and will continue to be safe in Canada.

It’s frustrating to have to keep testing and I get that. It’s part of a phased reopening and hopefully these measures will be eased further as we progress.

ehhh, don't really believe that. If they wanted it to be easy to travel from and to Canada they would remove all testing imo.
And I'm not frustrated tbh, I still need to test to get on the plane regardless so I don't mind either way. It is what it is, been doing it since Dec 2020 with peak restrictions.

 

[accm]

Does anyone know how long you have to wait after testing positive to fly to the states? I read 14 days awhile ago but now I can’t find any information. My household is positive and I don’t have it yet and fly out on March 5

The US doesn’t have a minimum number of days. But you’ll need a doctors note clearing you from isolation, which in most provinces is 5 days right now I believe.

Are these ok to use if we are flying from USA and back to USA then crossing at land border?

Yes, the SwitchHealth tests are good to get back into Canada. If you’re driving into the US, you won’t need a test at all to cross the border or fly.

 

[hcortesis]

The US doesn’t have a minimum number of days. But you’ll need a doctors note clearing you from isolation, which in most provinces is 5 days right now I believe.

10 days after testing positive, you are allowed to fly without testing

Yes, the SwitchHealth tests are good to get back into Canada. If you’re driving into the US, you won’t need a test at all to cross the border or fly.

Not exactly sure what you mean as I might be misunderstanding your post but you need to test to fly to and from the U.S. unless you have tested positive at least 10 days prior.

 

[disneyfreak89]

So I went onto Walgreens website to see which locations offered a Rapid Antigen test and to my surprise there are NONE in Orlando, or Florida itself? I also checked Kentucky where we will be the night before crossing the border and same thing. Am I missing something?

BTW, there are MANY appointments available now for the PCR/NAAT tests at least at the Walgreens I searched. Still can only book 3 days in advance though.

 

[TigerlilyAJ]

10 days after testing positive, you are allowed to fly without testing

Not exactly sure what you mean as I might be misunderstanding your post but you need to test to fly to and from the U.S. unless you have tested positive at least 10 days prior.

It just means when crossing INTO the US by car you don't need a test. Then, once in the US, taking a flight from one US airport to another, you don't need a test. You DO need a test for now when driving back into Canada. In March, you will have a choice of molecular test within 72 hours of crossing back into Canada or a rapid antigen test within 24 hours of crossing.

@disneyfreak89 Give everyone a couple weeks to adjust to the new rules and new demands from Canadian tourists for antigen tests.

As for the Deterrent factor, the fact that they haven't dropped tests for under 72-hour trips--or even under 24-hour trips--AND require you to take the test in the US means they don't really want to open up travel. Not really. (I still have fingers crossed for after March Break.)
Imagine: you wake up in ON, you go to bed in ON. But in between, you pop over to Buffalo for some shopping or a hockey game. The new stance is that you a) still have to take a test, albeit one that will cost less, and b) still have to carve time out of your travel day and find testing in a foreign country. Feels like a deterrent.
ETA: Forgot the continued threat that if your test is positive while you're spending 8 hours in Buffalo, you now have to stay there for 10 days or risk being fined thousands of dollars for coming home to quarantine. All while it's obvious that you caught Covid in Ontario and are probably asymptomatic. The only reason you tested was for the border--and you were not allowed to test in ON *before* you crossed the border, so the only reason you tested in Buffalo after crossing was because the rules say you must.

 

[wowzadisney]

The way I'm reading this is seems they vaccinated don't need to test at all when returning to Canada.

As of February 28, 2022 at 12:01 a.m. EST:

• We will be easing the on-arrival testing for fully-vaccinated travellers. This means that travellers arriving to Canada from any country, who qualify as fully vaccinated, will be randomly selected for arrival testing. Travellers selected will also no longer be required to quarantine while awaiting their test result.

 

[HeatherLassell]

It just means when crossing INTO the US by car you don't need a test. Then, once in the US, taking a flight from one US airport to another, you don't need a test. You DO need a test for now when driving back into Canada. In March, you will have a choice of molecular test within 72 hours of crossing back into Canada or a rapid antigen test within 24 hours of crossing.

@disneyfreak89 Give everyone a couple weeks to adjust to the new rules and new demands from Canadian tourists for antigen tests.

As for the Deterrent factor, the fact that they haven't dropped tests for under 72-hour trips--or even under 24-hour trips--AND require you to take the test in the US means they don't really want to open up travel. Not really. (I still have fingers crossed for after March Break.)
Imagine: you wake up in ON, you go to bed in ON. But in between, you pop over to Buffalo for some shopping or a hockey game. The new stance is that you a) still have to take a test, albeit one that will cost less, and b) still have to carve time out of your travel day and find testing in a foreign country. Feels like a deterrent.
ETA: Forgot the continued threat that if your test is positive while you're spending 8 hours in Buffalo, you now have to stay there for 10 days or risk being fined thousands of dollars for coming home to quarantine. All while it's obvious that you caught Covid in Ontario and are probably asymptomatic. The only reason you tested was for the border--and you were not allowed to test in ON *before* you crossed the border, so the only reason you tested in Buffalo after crossing was because the rules say you must.

Agree on both counts. I'm so frustrated that they haven't brought the less than 72 hours rule back. I'm 2 hours from the ND border here in Manitoba and we like to go down for Target and some Texas Roadhouse lol But we won't be going until the no testing comes back.

 

[HeatherLassell]

The way I'm reading this is seems they vaccinated don't need to test at all when returning to Canada.

As of February 28, 2022 at 12:01 a.m. EST:

• We will be easing the on-arrival testing for fully-vaccinated travellers. This means that travellers arriving to Canada from any country, who qualify as fully vaccinated, will be randomly selected for arrival testing. Travellers selected will also no longer be required to quarantine while awaiting their test result.

Before you had to test to return AND they made you take another test at the airport. So it's only the "on-arrival" testing that will now be only randomly selected individuals instead of everyone. So you still have to provide a negative covid test to enter Canada.

 

[spewey]

It just means when crossing INTO the US by car you don't need a test. Then, once in the US, taking a flight from one US airport to another, you don't need a test. You DO need a test for now when driving back into Canada. In March, you will have a choice of molecular test within 72 hours of crossing back into Canada or a rapid antigen test within 24 hours of crossing.

@disneyfreak89 Give everyone a couple weeks to adjust to the new rules and new demands from Canadian tourists for antigen tests.

As for the Deterrent factor, the fact that they haven't dropped tests for under 72-hour trips--or even under 24-hour trips--AND require you to take the test in the US means they don't really want to open up travel. Not really. (I still have fingers crossed for after March Break.)
Imagine: you wake up in ON, you go to bed in ON. But in between, you pop over to Buffalo for some shopping or a hockey game. The new stance is that you a) still have to take a test, albeit one that will cost less, and b) still have to carve time out of your travel day and find testing in a foreign country. Feels like a deterrent.
ETA: Forgot the continued threat that if your test is positive while you're spending 8 hours in Buffalo, you now have to stay there for 10 days or risk being fined thousands of dollars for coming home to quarantine. All while it's obvious that you caught Covid in Ontario and are probably asymptomatic. The only reason you tested was for the border--and you were not allowed to test in ON *before* you crossed the border, so the only reason you tested in Buffalo after crossing was because the rules say you must.

Beautifully summarized!