For my Canadian peeps

[mullysisters]

I've read so much I'm going crazy- trying to find alternative vacation plans to cruising:
If you test negative in another (foreign country) do you have to quarantine there until you can produce a negative test to return to Canada ? Do all/most airlines require negative tests in order to board for return flight to Canada?
So, having been vaxxed 3 x it's all about the re-entry test and possible quarantine at home or abroad.
Is cruising different because you MUST disembark whether or not you test positive or not? Whereas, at a land crossing they can turn you away?
If we are going to be in quarantine there are places I'd rather be. (We cant quarantine we have limited available minders)
I'm beginning to think we can safely drive to my nephews cottage (in Calabogie, Ontario) and be fairly certain of no testing required- LOL. sob.sob.

 

[HeatherLassell]

Yup must have a negative test to return to Canada. So ideally what they want is if you test positive you wait 10 days and take a new test. If negative, then you can return to Canada. ArriveCan is still being used and you MUST upload a negative test result in order to be allowed to fly. If you showed up at the border crossing whiteout a negative test I'm told they will let you in but they can fine you $5000 per person (it isn't happening to everyone).

Yeah if you're that worried about it I might just wait a bit longer to cruise. I'm just going to roll with the punches and hope for the best. My cruise isn't till the end of May so I'm still hoping the testing requirement will be dropped for those fully vaccinated! I'm triple vaccinated also.

 

[Dis_fool]

We recently returned from Florida, and drove home after disembarking from a Disney Cruise. At that time PCR was required, and we chose to use the Disney Cruise Line's third party at the port to get it done. Won't get into specifics but it was a total disaster with them. Had we been flying that day we would never have made the flight. It IS a major worry but it is a fact of travelling outside of Canada. I can see the testing being dropped within the next few months if the numbers don't soar. We have two more cruises booked this year and are optimistic.

 

[HeatherLassell]

We recently returned from Florida, and drove home after disembarking from a Disney Cruise. At that time PCR was required, and we chose to use the Disney Cruise Line's third party at the port to get it done. Won't get into specifics but it was a total disaster with them. Had we been flying that day we would never have made the flight. It IS a major worry but it is a fact of travelling outside of Canada. I can see the testing being dropped within the next few months if the numbers don't soar. We have two more cruises booked this year and are optimistic.

Someone in the Canadian forum shared this place called https://lifecenters.ca/faq/ "Life Centers" where you bring your own rapid test with you (In Manitoba you can pick them up for free) , you do a video call with them (TELEHEALTH) and they certify the results of your test. It's $20 for the first person and $5 for others! This is what we will be doing to come home as long as we still have to test.

 

[lanejudy]

I'm not Canadian but live very near the border and crossing has been a challenge for those of us on both sides. My understanding ... you must test negative or you cannot board a plane, so yes that means quarantine at your vacation spot. By land, I believe Canadians are subject to a fine ($5000?) if you return to Canadian soil with a positive test; so the preference is to quarantine state-side until you can obtain a negative.

With regards to cruises -- we haven't heard DCL's plans, but I expect they may have specific debarkation plans for those who test positive onboard and are still in the time period required for Canadian quarantine -- debarkation directly from the port to a hotel, maintaining a "bubble" of sorts. Maybe you'll be allowed to choose a quarantine location but until we know more from DCL I wouldn't count on that.

 

[mullysisters]

Yup must have a negative test to return to Canada. So ideally what they want is if you test positive you wait 10 days and take a new test. If negative, then you can return to Canada. ArriveCan is still being used and you MUST upload a negative test result in order to be allowed to fly. If you showed up at the border crossing whiteout a negative test I'm told they will let you in but they can fine you $5000 per person (it isn't happening to everyone).

Yeah if you're that worried about it I might just wait a bit longer to cruise. I'm just going to roll with the punches and hope for the best. My cruise isn't till the end of May so I'm still hoping the testing requirement will be dropped for those fully vaccinated! I'm triple vaccinated also.

Our cruise is mid July but of course theres the PIF date. Our only issue is farm/ pet/ horse sitters are already booked. Thanks for the info!

 

[HeatherLassell]

Our cruise is mid July but of course theres the PIF date. Our only issue is farm/ pet/ horse sitters are already booked. Thanks for the info!

I totally get that. It would definitely be a horrible situation to end up stuck in the US for 10 days extra. Here's hoping the testing requirement for fully vaccinated people is gone soon! (The UK has already stopped doing it)

 

[mullysisters]

I just watched a spring break mass exit of Canadians at Toronto Pearson. I asked my travel partner DSis, are all these people prepared to stay where ever they are going for another 10 days? It would be interesting to know what % of people test positive on their return, in spite of being 3x vaxxed. I hope zero! That will support the removal of re-entry testing.

 

[mousefan73]

It’s simple. To enter the US and Canada you need a negative test. This can be antigen.
Reality is it’s an honor system especially for the Canada rule you have to wait 10 days before you enter. Fact is with antigen after a positive test you can test negative same day , next day or maybe longer. Many asymptomatic cases test negative faster than symtoptmatic. Based on my large circle of people with Covid most test negative within two or three days. I personally have never heard of anyone who still testing positive for 10 days with an antigen

nobody reports you to any authority with a positive antigen. Whose to know if the negative test you use to enter is the first or 2 nd test 3 days later

unfortunately I believe Canada reports when arriving via cruise ship in Vancouver

 

[4 mickey]

Someone in the Canadian forum shared this place called https://lifecenters.ca/faq/ "Life Centers" where you bring your own rapid test with you (In Manitoba you can pick them up for free) , you do a video call with them (TELEHEALTH) and they certify the results of your test. It's $20 for the first person and $5 for others! This is what we will be doing to come home as long as we still have to test.

hi
nevervheard if it
just for that I’d be scared it wouldn’t be accepted at airport to come back
we also get free 5 pack rapid test here at home with our pharmacy ) you say those test with that compagny can be done with tests ?

 

[PalmettoPath]

Someone in the Canadian forum shared this place called https://lifecenters.ca/faq/ "Life Centers" where you bring your own rapid test with you (In Manitoba you can pick them up for free) , you do a video call with them (TELEHEALTH) and they certify the results of your test. It's $20 for the first person and $5 for others! This is what we will be doing to come home as long as we still have to test.

Thanks for sharing that -- a good backup plan for us. Luckily the Boson tests I bought just for random testing are on their approved Health Canada list, so we're good to go with them if need be.

 

[PalmettoPath]

hi
nevervheard if it
just for that I’d be scared it wouldn’t be accepted at airport to come back
we also get free 5 pack rapid test here at home with our pharmacy ) you say those test with that compagny can be done with tests ?

There is an approved list of tests on their website, which are the Health Canada approved tests. e.g.

• BTNX Rapid Response (green box)
• Abbott PanBio.
• Boson SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Antigen Test
• Artron Rapid Antigen Test
• Roche Rapid Antigen Test

 

[bcwife76]

There is an approved list of tests on their website, which are the Health Canada approved tests. e.g.

• BTNX Rapid Response (green box)
• Abbott PanBio.
• Boson SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Antigen Test
• Artron Rapid Antigen Test
• Roche Rapid Antigen Test

Thank you for this list! I'm in BC and our schools just handed out a box of 5 tests to every child in K-12 (so now I've got 10 tests!). Just looked at the box again and they are made by Artron.

 

[mullysisters]

Ours are BTNX and we got a box of five from Walmart? So we're all set.

 

[4 mickey]

Thanks for sharing that -- a good backup plan for us. Luckily the Boson tests I bought just for random testing are on their approved Health Canada list, so we're good to go with them if need be.

What are the ones recommended and where do you find them ?

 

[4 mickey]

There is an approved list of tests on their website, which are the Health Canada approved tests. e.g.

• BTNX Rapid Response (green box)
• Abbott PanBio.
• Boson SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Antigen Test
• Artron Rapid Antigen Test
• Roche Rapid Antigen Test

So the green box offered here in canaDa
green box of 5 tests works ? It says BTNX and says antigen

 

[4 mickey]

So life centers ( is reliable
they give you the right informations so no problems at airport ?


montReal and Orlando ?
thanks

 

[PalmettoPath]

Yup must have a negative test to return to Canada. So ideally what they want is if you test positive you wait 10 days and take a new test. If negative, then you can return to Canada. ArriveCan is still being used and you MUST upload a negative test result in order to be allowed to fly. If you showed up at the border crossing whiteout a negative test I'm told they will let you in but they can fine you $5000 per person (it isn't happening to everyone).

Yeah if you're that worried about it I might just wait a bit longer to cruise. I'm just going to roll with the punches and hope for the best. My cruise isn't till the end of May so I'm still hoping the testing requirement will be dropped for those fully vaccinated! I'm triple vaccinated also.

If your positive test was one of the accepted molecular tests, you would not need to retest to show a negative. That would only be the case if you initially used an antigen test. Here is the wording from the Gov Can site about all this. The proof of a positive molecular test would apply so you enter that and after 10 days you can enter.


Pre-entry testing (accepted types, timing)
Options for providing proof of a valid pre-entry test
At this time, all travellers 5 years of age or older entering by land, air or water, must provide proof of one of the following accepted types of test results:

1. Starting February 28: proof of a professionally administered or observed negative antigen test taken outside of Canada no more than 1 day before your scheduled flight or entry to Canada by land or water
   • the one day window does not depend on the time of day the test was taken or the time of your flight or entry
   • for example, if your flight is scheduled to leave or you enter by land any time on Friday, you could provide proof of a negative result from an antigen test taken any time on Thursday, or on Friday
   • it must be administered or observed by a pharmacy, laboratory, healthcare entity or telehealth service
   • the test must be authorized for sale or distribution in Canada or in the jurisdiction in which it was obtained
   • the test must be performed outside of Canada
2. Proof of a valid negative molecular test taken outside of Canada within 72 hours of your scheduled flight’s departure time to Canada or your entry to Canada by land or water
   • for example, if your flight is scheduled to leave at 11:00 am on Friday, your test must have been taken any time after 10:59 am on Tuesday
3. Previous positive molecular test result: you no longer have symptoms and provide proof of a positive molecular test taken at least 10 calendar days and no more than 180 calendar days before entering Canada. Counting starts the day after your test.
   • for example, if your positive COVID-19 molecular test was taken on January 1, then January 11 would be the earliest scheduled departure date of your flight to Canada, or the first day you could use it to enter Canada by land or water
   • if your positive proof is accepted you won’t have to take arrival or Day-8 tests
   • this test can be taken in or outside of Canada
   • a positive antigen test result is never a valid test result for boarding a flight or entry to Canada and can’t be used as proof of a previous infection

 

[4 mickey]

If your positive test was one of the accepted molecular tests, you would not need to retest to show a negative. That would only be the case if you initially used an antigen test. Here is the wording from the Gov Can site about all this. The proof of a positive molecular test would apply so you enter that and after 10 days you can enter.


Pre-entry testing (accepted types, timing)
Options for providing proof of a valid pre-entry test
At this time, all travellers 5 years of age or older entering by land, air or water, must provide proof of one of the following accepted types of test results:

1. Starting February 28: proof of a professionally administered or observed negative antigen test taken outside of Canada no more than 1 day before your scheduled flight or entry to Canada by land or water
   • the one day window does not depend on the time of day the test was taken or the time of your flight or entry
   • for example, if your flight is scheduled to leave or you enter by land any time on Friday, you could provide proof of a negative result from an antigen test taken any time on Thursday, or on Friday
   • it must be administered or observed by a pharmacy, laboratory, healthcare entity or telehealth service
   • the test must be authorized for sale or distribution in Canada or in the jurisdiction in which it was obtained
   • the test must be performed outside of Canada
2. Proof of a valid negative molecular test taken outside of Canada within 72 hours of your scheduled flight’s departure time to Canada or your entry to Canada by land or water
   • for example, if your flight is scheduled to leave at 11:00 am on Friday, your test must have been taken any time after 10:59 am on Tuesday
3. Previous positive molecular test result: you no longer have symptoms and provide proof of a positive molecular test taken at least 10 calendar days and no more than 180 calendar days before entering Canada. Counting starts the day after your test.
   • for example, if your positive COVID-19 molecular test was taken on January 1, then January 11 would be the earliest scheduled departure date of your flight to Canada, or the first day you could use it to enter Canada by land or water
   • if your positive proof is accepted you won’t have to take arrival or Day-8 tests
   • this test can be taken in or outside of Canada
   • a positive antigen test result is never a valid test result for boarding a flight or entry to Canada and can’t be used as proof of a previous infection

Again sorry my ignorance
This covid tests for travels will be a first for me
And I want to fo it right
Because there will be me myself
And my daughters family

So In a nutshell

those green BTNX 5 pieces tests box given at our schools or pharmacy will work with a
Observed center such as life centers

accepted for departure from Montréal and when coming back from Orlando ?

thanks

 

[PalmettoPath]

Again sorry my ignorance
This covid tests for travels will be a first for me
And I want to fo it right
Because there will be me myself
And my daughters family

So In a nutshell

those green BTNX 5 pieces tests box given at our schools or pharmacy will work with a
Observed center such as life centers

accepted for departure from Montréal and when coming back from Orlando ?

thanks

Any antigen test that is Health Canada approved has to be overseen by a Health Canada approved health professional as well (they need to watch you do it live and see the result in real time). So if it were me I would first ensure I can get an appointment with one (LifeCenters an example of that, but they are fully booked for appointments, for example, for our time period). So if it were me, I would first find a provider that is approved and then I would ensure that the healthcare service confirms that they will use/approve your specific tests. In our case, we are using the Switch Health video testing service, so we purchased the tests directly from them to ensure that there are no last minute surprises. It's confusing enough as it is, so we just went with this more direct route and are using the others as backups.