Canadian rant

[Inga]

Oooohhhhh! things aren’t moving fast enough for us here in Canada to get a national vaccine passport to eventually be accepted by the US! We aren’t travelling until Feb 2022 but the path seems slow, clunky and cumbersome. To make matters worse, right now a Hawaii-approved Covid test before travel is not even available in our province of Nova Scotia, we would have to drive 5 hours (one way) to Fredericton, New Brunswick to get an approved test completed - that would be a dead-of-winter drive. ARGH! How can this be possible?!?

Rant Complete- thanks for listening

Inga

 

[FinnFogg]

Not only that, but once we get there we can’t there we can’t even dine in restaurants even if we are fully vaccinated with a US approved vaccine such as Pfizer or Moderna! Under to new Safe Access Oahu restrictions, only US-issued vaccination cards are acceptable to dine in restaurants. The only other option is to show proof of a negative covid test taken within 48 hours! Assuming we still go on our Nov trip to Aulani, it looks like we will be doing a lot of cooking in our villa!

 

[bcwife76]

We switched our March 2022 trip from Aulani to Vero Beach at the 7 month mark, too much hassle right now for us. I LOVE Hawaii and am heartbroken but Aulani is our home resort and will always be there for us Mixing vaccines was a choice thrust upon us by the CDN govt and some of us didn't have another choice. The sooner the US CDC recognizes the benefits of mixing vaccines the better.

 

[StarSeven7]

Not only that, but once we get there we can’t there we can’t even dine in restaurants even if we are fully vaccinated with a US approved vaccine such as Pfizer or Moderna! Under to new Safe Access Oahu restrictions, only US-issued vaccination cards are acceptable to dine in restaurants. The only other option is to show proof of a negative covid test taken within 48 hours! Assuming we still go on our Nov trip to Aulani, it looks like we will be doing a lot of cooking in our villa!

Oh crap, I didn’t even think about this!! We’re supposed to be going to Oahu and the Big Island in November with my extended family to celebrate my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary. The rest of my family lives in the US but my family lives in Canada. Everyone over 12 is vaccinated and my husband and I both received 2 shots of Moderna in Canada so I was assuming we would all be fine for eating in restaurants!!

 

[StarSeven7]

Oooohhhhh! things aren’t moving fast enough for us here in Canada to get a national vaccine passport to eventually be accepted by the US! We aren’t travelling until Feb 2022 but the path seems slow, clunky and cumbersome. To make matters worse, right now a Hawaii-approved Covid test before travel is not even available in our province of Nova Scotia, we would have to drive 5 hours (one way) to Fredericton, New Brunswick to get an approved test completed - that would be a dead-of-winter drive. ARGH! How can this be possible?!?

Rant Complete- thanks for listening

Inga

Isn’t it just a PCR test that’s needed to travel to Hawaii? I saw on one page that it was called an NAAT test but it directed me to Westjets website for testing locations and westjet called it a pcr/naat test which made me think the terms were interchangeable? The closest guaranteed travel testing site to me is an hour away but in our city they are allowing free travel testing at the local testing clinic since there is no other option in town. My husband was able to get a free pcr test done there for flying to the USA last month and the turnaround time on it was about 24 hours. Maybe you have a similar option in NS?

 

[Drewski77]

You can test to travel, but soon you will need proof of vaccine to eat in a restaurant and enter many other places of business.

 

[FinnFogg]

Isn’t it just a PCR test that’s needed to travel to Hawaii? I saw on one page that it was called an NAAT test but it directed me to Westjets website for testing locations and westjet called it a pcr/naat test which made me think the terms were interchangeable? The closest guaranteed travel testing site to me is an hour away but in our city they are allowing free travel testing at the local testing clinic since there is no other option in town. My husband was able to get a free pcr test done there for flying to the USA last month and the turnaround time on it was about 24 hours. Maybe you have a similar option in NS?

Hawaii’s requirements are more stringent than the US generally re testing. It has to be a PCR/NAAT test from an approved Safe Travels testing partner. In Canada, Air Canada and West Jet are the approved partners, and they have contracted with certain limited facilities to provide the tests. Not any PCR/NAAT test will do.

 

[StarSeven7]

Hawaii’s requirements are more stringent than the US generally re testing. It has to be a PCR/NAAT test from an approved Safe Travels testing partner. In Canada, Air Canada and West Jet are the approved partners, and they have contracted with certain limited facilities to provide the tests. Not any PCR/NAAT test will do.

Ok good to know! I haven’t followed it super closely since it’s a few months away still and who knows what will change by then! It looks like LifeLabs is an approved partner in Ontario so we that means we have to test through them? That will be an hour drive and an extra $800 for our family!

 

[StarSeven7]

You can test to travel, but soon you will need proof of vaccine to eat in a restaurant and enter many other places of business.

Do we know for sure if Canadians or other international tourists are excluded from that or is that just speculation at this point? I can’t find anything that even mentions international tourists for the Oahu vaccine mandate and it seems like it’s separate from the Safe Travels QR code? Like is it just up to each restaurant to determine who can enter? And what about patio seating? I can’t find any specifics so if anyone has answers I would love to hear them! My mom really wants us all to have drinks at the Beach Bar at the Moana Surfrider to celebrate their anniversary so if my husband and I are the only ones who can’t participate that will be very disappointing!!

 

[FinnFogg]

Ok good to know! I haven’t followed it super closely since it’s a few months away still and who knows what will change by then! It looks like LifeLabs is an approved partner in Ontario so we that means we have to test through them? That will be an hour drive and an extra $800 for our family!

Yes - Life Labs is approved as a WJ and AC partner here in BC as well, but only certain locations (not all Life Labs). They are listed on the airlines websites, so just make sure you book that way and only go to one approved for Hawaii.

 

[StarSeven7]

Yes - Life Labs is approved as a WJ and AC partner here in BC as well, but only certain locations (not all Life Labs). They are listed on the airlines websites, so just make sure you book that way and only go to one approved for Hawaii.

Ok thanks. I guess this way we’re at least guaranteed that results will come back in time so that will take away some stress. Just have to drive an hour to London to get tested a day or two before we drive 3 hours to Toronto to fly out!

 

[Inga]

Looks like Ontario has Shoppers Drug Mart on their approved testing sites - lucky! NS needs to get their poop in gear, frankly. I have read that yes, if you got your vaccine from anywhere other than the US, a Covid test will be required for entry into restaurants/ bars - at this point anyway. There really isn’t any incentive to make it easier for Canadians to be in Hawaii- they are already too full of American tourists…

 

[StarSeven7]

Looks like Ontario has Shoppers Drug Mart on their approved testing sites - lucky! NS needs to get their poop in gear, frankly. I have read that yes, if you got your vaccine from anywhere other than the US, a Covid test will be required for entry into restaurants/ bars - at this point anyway. There really isn’t any incentive to make it easier for Canadians to be in Hawaii- they are already too full of American tourists…

I think it’s not every Shoppers unfortunately. The ones in my town are not approved. but a 5 hour drive really stinks!!

 

[jump00]

I think we will hold off ( for now ) to visiting Hawaii…….. I’m even worried Florida will still be a “mess” next summer and we will have to cancel that trip as well.
Thanks for the updates!

 

[swooshbear]

Not only that, but once we get there we can’t there we can’t even dine in restaurants even if we are fully vaccinated with a US approved vaccine such as Pfizer or Moderna! Under to new Safe Access Oahu restrictions, only US-issued vaccination cards are acceptable to dine in restaurants. The only other option is to show proof of a negative covid test taken within 48 hours! Assuming we still go on our Nov trip to Aulani, it looks like we will be doing a lot of cooking in our villa!

Take-out is still an option for most restaurants. Some of my favorite local spots still aren't doing dine-in yet. Dinner and view from the villa is not a bad thing.

 

[To the honeypots]

How is everyone dealing with getting back into Canada? Do you plan to test in Hawaii or coordinate a flight so you are testing at a layover on the mainland?

 

[StarSeven7]

How is everyone dealing with getting back into Canada? Do you plan to test in Hawaii or coordinate a flight so you are testing at a layover on the mainland?

We are planning to test on Maui before we fly back. My husband found a CVS that does it.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Not only that, but once we get there we can’t there we can’t even dine in restaurants even if we are fully vaccinated with a US approved vaccine such as Pfizer or Moderna! Under to new Safe Access Oahu restrictions, only US-issued vaccination cards are acceptable to dine in restaurants. The only other option is to show proof of a negative covid test taken within 48 hours! Assuming we still go on our Nov trip to Aulani, it looks like we will be doing a lot of cooking in our villa!

Not sure when in November your trip is, but the program is set to expire mid-month. If Hawaii's Delta curve follows a similar pattern as Florida, it should hopefully be a non-issue by that point.

 

[Inga]

How is everyone dealing with getting back into Canada? Do you plan to test in Hawaii or coordinate a flight so you are testing at a layover on the mainland?

We’ll be looking at getting a test somewhere in Oahu….we go in Feb 2022 so hoping things **might** change things by then??