Land Border and positive test

[Norton figment]

Hi All,

Let’s say you’ve gone down to Florida once the land border opens and you find out that you are positive for Covid what are the rules for coming home? My thoughts would be of course stay away from people and where a mask but aren’t we allowed into our own country as Canadian citizens. Then quarantine here. Does anyone know I cannot find any clear information on this.

I could see many people starting the drive home and receiving the results once they get to the border then finding out they’re positive.

 

[2Lunds]

Yes, you're permitted to enter, and you're directed to head straight to your planned quarantine location. Then, you receive calls regularly to check in during your quarantine, and I believe you're required to test negative after the 14-day mark (but you might want to follow up on that, I'm not 100% sure).

It's not that a positive test means you're denied entry to Canada as a citizen, you can't board a plane with a positive test - that's the difference. So the land border doesn't present the same problem.

https://www.canada.ca/en/public-hea...-contact-tracing/summary-data-travellers.html

 

[Jo-Anne]

So just playing this out - if we test positive in Florida .... instead of quarantining in Florida could we technically drive the rental car we have back to Buffalo and drop it there and then have our daughter drive across the border to pick us up and drive us back to our home to quarantine?

 

[Madame]

So just playing this out - if we test positive in Florida .... instead of quarantining in Florida could we technically drive the rental car we have back to Buffalo and drop it there and then have our daughter drive across the border to pick us up and drive us back to our home to quarantine?

Might be easier to fly out of Bufallo just in case you're forced to drive it - careful about assuming rentals will be available. The rental companies liquidated much of their inventory and the lack of new car availibility (because of the chip issue) caused used car demand to skyrocket, compounding the sourcing of new inventory for them.

 

[2Lunds]

So just playing this out - if we test positive in Florida .... instead of quarantining in Florida could we technically drive the rental car we have back to Buffalo and drop it there and then have our daughter drive across the border to pick us up and drive us back to our home to quarantine?

Yes, in theory, you could. Two potential issues:

Your daughter will need a negative PCR test to cross back into Canada after she picks you up. Meaning she either has to stay in Buffalo for 72 hours, or get her test in Canada before coming to get you.
You may not be able to secure a one-way rental to drive from Florida to Buffalo. With the rental car shortages, it's very difficult to obtain. You might have better luck driving home in a U-haul

 

[mevelandry]

Yes, you're permitted to enter, and you're directed to head straight to your planned quarantine location. Then, you receive calls regularly to check in during your quarantine, and I believe you're required to test negative after the 14-day mark (but you might want to follow up on that, I'm not 100% sure).

It's not that a positive test means you're denied entry to Canada as a citizen, you can't board a plane with a positive test - that's the difference. So the land border doesn't present the same problem.

https://www.canada.ca/en/public-hea...-contact-tracing/summary-data-travellers.html

Oh, good to know.

 

[Average Joes]

So just playing this out - if we test positive in Florida .... instead of quarantining in Florida could we technically drive the rental car we have back to Buffalo and drop it there and then have our daughter drive across the border to pick us up and drive us back to our home to quarantine?

Depending how far you are from Buffalo it may be easier, and less risky, to drive to Buffalo and fly from there. Get your test results after you return to Buffalo or during the flight. You do not need a negative result to fly from Orlando to Buffalo. Drive home yourself whether you are positive or not. This option would be problematic if you are symptomatic of course.

To the OP yes that is my plan. Drive home. If symptomatic stay away from people, double mask and get the results near the border. If symptoms meant a strong certainty of being positive I would feel guilty doing that.

 

[damo]

Yes, in theory, you could. Two potential issues:

Your daughter will need a negative PCR test to cross back into Canada after she picks you up. Meaning she either has to stay in Buffalo for 72 hours, or get her test in Canada before coming to get you.
You may not be able to secure a one-way rental to drive from Florida to Buffalo. With the rental car shortages, it's very difficult to obtain. You might have better luck driving home in a U-haul

I don't think it is necessary for daughter to be in Buffalo for 72 hours. If she can find an available ID Now test in Buffalo, she can do a day-of trip.

 

[2Lunds]

I don't think it is necessary for daughter to be in Buffalo for 72 hours. If she can find an available ID Now test in Buffalo, she can do a day-of trip.

Right - sorry. I was conflating the 72 hour validity time with the turnaround time.

 

[ccudmore]

Yes, in theory, you could. Two potential issues:

Your daughter will need a negative PCR test to cross back into Canada after she picks you up. Meaning she either has to stay in Buffalo for 72 hours, or get her test in Canada before coming to get you.
You may not be able to secure a one-way rental to drive from Florida to Buffalo. With the rental car shortages, it's very difficult to obtain. You might have better luck driving home in a U-haul

You may not feel like driving 24 hours if you start developing symptoms. Also you and your family may not be able to book a hotel or go into restaurants (even for washrooms) along the route.

 

[Norton figment]

Yes, you're permitted to enter, and you're directed to head straight to your planned quarantine location. Then, you receive calls regularly to check in during your quarantine, and I believe you're required to test negative after the 14-day mark (but you might want to follow up on that, I'm not 100% sure).

It's not that a positive test means you're denied entry to Canada as a citizen, you can't board a plane with a positive test - that's the difference. So the land border doesn't present the same problem.

https://www.canada.ca/en/public-hea...-contact-tracing/summary-data-travellers.html

Thank you so much! I googled and never found this on the government website. Everything I found only talked about what test to take and what to do if double vaccinated or only Partially vaccinated.

 

[bankr63]

and I believe you're required to test negative after the 14-day mark (but you might want to follow up on that, I'm not 100% sure).

No, you would follow protocols for those who have tested positive and quarantine 14 days. People who have contracted COVID-19 will continue to test positive for a long time after recovery; that 14 day test is pretty much guaranteed to come back positive as well.

 

[bankr63]

I don't think it is necessary for daughter to be in Buffalo for 72 hours. If she can find an available ID Now test in Buffalo, she can do a day-of trip.

ID Now is not an accepted test for admission to Canada. PCR and a couple of other lab based tests are approved, the rapid antigen tests are not approved for entry to Canada, but they are good for entry to the US. (Edit - incorrect information, mixing up my test types) Better bet would be for her to get a PCR or other accepted test in Canada about 48 hours prior to your arrival so it could serve for acceptance in both directions.
Of course if you do test positive and then have her drive back she will also have to quarantine for 14 days. Not because of the test result but because of close contact with an infected person. After a couple of hours in an enclosed vehicle with an infected person, she will almost certainly be infected herself. Also note that flying back to Buffalo if you have a positive result would not be possible if you are aware of the fact. Domestic flights do not require testing in the US, but you still have to attest to being symptom free and not having had a positive test.

 

[quandrea]

The fear of all this is why we aren’t travelling for a bit. Not criticising those who do travel, it’s just out of our comfort zone.

 

[Jo-Anne]

ID Now is not an accepted test for admission to Canada. PCR and a couple of other lab based tests are approved, the rapid antigen tests are not approved for entry to Canada, but they are good for entry to the US. Better bet would be for her to get a PCR test in Canada about 48 hours prior to your arrival so it could serve for acceptance in both directions.
Of course if you do test positive and then have her drive back she will also have to quarantine for 14 days. Not because of the test result but because of close contact with an infected person. After a couple of hours in an enclosed vehicle with an infected person, she will almost certainly be infected herself. Also note that flying back to Buffalo if you have a positive result would not be possible if you are aware of the fact. Domestic flights do not require testing in the US, but you still have to attest to being symptom free and not having had a positive test.

ID NOW is a NAAT test which is valid to get re entry back into Canada

 

[JETSDAD]

ID Now is not an accepted test for admission to Canada. PCR and a couple of other lab based tests are approved, the rapid antigen tests are not approved for entry to Canada, but they are good for entry to the US. Better bet would be for her to get a PCR test in Canada about 48 hours prior to your arrival so it could serve for acceptance in both directions.
Of course if you do test positive and then have her drive back she will also have to quarantine for 14 days. Not because of the test result but because of close contact with an infected person. After a couple of hours in an enclosed vehicle with an infected person, she will almost certainly be infected herself. Also note that flying back to Buffalo if you have a positive result would not be possible if you are aware of the fact. Domestic flights do not require testing in the US, but you still have to attest to being symptom free and not having had a positive test.

ID Now is a NAAT test and is approved for entry into Canada.

 

[SCCNJ]

Oops sorry wrong thread!

 

[damo]

ID Now is not an accepted test for admission to Canada. PCR and a couple of other lab based tests are approved, the rapid antigen tests are not approved for entry to Canada, but they are good for entry to the US. (Edit - incorrect information, mixing up my test types) Better bet would be for her to get a PCR or other accepted test in Canada about 48 hours prior to your arrival so it could serve for acceptance in both directions.
Of course if you do test positive and then have her drive back she will also have to quarantine for 14 days. Not because of the test result but because of close contact with an infected person. After a couple of hours in an enclosed vehicle with an infected person, she will almost certainly be infected herself. Also note that flying back to Buffalo if you have a positive result would not be possible if you are aware of the fact. Domestic flights do not require testing in the US, but you still have to attest to being symptom free and not having had a positive test.

It is cheaper to get the ID-Now test in Buffalo than to get a molecular test in Canada. Id-Now test is free but the molecular test can run you around $150. You don't need a test to drive to the US.

 

[2Lunds]

No, you would follow protocols for those who have tested positive and quarantine 14 days. People who have contracted COVID-19 will continue to test positive for a long time after recovery; that 14 day test is pretty much guaranteed to come back positive as well.

Thank you for that!

 

[bankr63]

It is cheaper to get the ID-Now test in Buffalo than to get a molecular test in Canada. Id-Now test is free but the molecular test can run you around $150. You don't need a test to drive to the US.

Sure, but if daughter is driving down only to meet them at the airport and drive home does it not add additional stress to that day to get tested down south? And what if daughter tests positive after driving to Buffalo. We are considering a weekend getaway to Lake Placid in the near future and I still think we will get tested just before we leave. I don't want to waste part of my first day trying to figure out where to get tested down there when I know where to go at home, even if we are going to pay a bit more. And if we test positive before we go, then we can just back out.