Land Border Opening?

[Aug2020distrip]

I would love if fully vaccinated Canadians took a rapid test on arrival, either by land or air. That would make travel so much easier.

Omg yes. I would absolutely be ok with this, because at least I would be back in Canada and could work from home. If they are going to keep testing for a bit, I would love for it to switch to this…

 

[accm]

If you're on an airplane right now, you're accepting a certain level of inherent risk. That risk is further reduced when 100% of passengers are vaccinated. Even prior to mandatory vaccines, the stats on pre-arrival positive tests from Feb-July is only 0.2%. Take-home tests would help prevent community spread in the unlikely event of a positive test, and would allow vaccinated folks who choose to travel to do so confidently, knowing that they can return to Canada.

There’s is always risk when going on an airplane. Making the choice to fly knowing that everyone has been tested (even if the testing is flawed) is not the same as not having any checks. And that’s not even counting all the border agents who now would have been exposed, and might not be able to work because of it. I get wanting things to go back to normal, but we’re just not there yet.
I’m also not sure where you’re getting your information from. Only flights originating in Canada will require proof of vaccine, and even then, you won’t have a 100% vaccine rate between children and people who can’t be vaccinated. I’d also love to know where you got your data regarding how many people tested positive on the predeparture test.

 

[2Lunds]

Apologies all - the stats I quoted were for tests at the land border, not pre-departure by air.

"According to government data, of the 397,497 tests administered at the land border between February and July, 0.2 per cent have returned positive."

https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/pha...egative-tests-to-enter-canada-blair-1.5625380

 

[damo]

Unless we know how many people tested positive on their pre-departure test, we really don't know how useful it is.

We really need a more comprehensive study to draw any real conclusions.

 

[Starwind]

Unless we know how many people tested positive on their pre-departure test, we really don't know how useful it is.

We really need a more comprehensive study to draw any real conclusions.

There has been a study done for air, by Delta and Mayo Clinic

I posted the following in another thread in late September:

It appears one study using real world data has been done, by Delta Airlines, with results out just this month. There are some press articles about it if you are interested. Links to some of them: https://www.airlineratings.com/news...hows-testing-effectively-deters-covid-spread/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2021/09/17/covid-spread-on-planes-testing-study/ https://www.travelpulse.com/news/ai...testing-before-flights-helps-stop-spread.html The study relates to testing prior to plane travel: quote from the last of the linked articles: "A new study found the risk of exposure to COVID-19 while traveling drops to less than 0.1 percent when all travelers test negative 72 hours before their flight. According to data from Delta Air Lines and the Mayo Clinic Proceedings, performing a single COVID-19 molecular test within 72 hours of departure could decrease the rate of people actively infected onboard to a level significantly lower than active community infection rates." They also have some info about the false positive and negative rates they discovered.

And the study itself: https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(21)00644-3/fulltext#relatedArticles

 

[damo]

There has been a study done for air, by Delta and Mayo Clinic

I posted the following in another thread in late September:

It appears one study using real world data has been done, by Delta Airlines, with results out just this month. There are some press articles about it if you are interested. Links to some of them: https://www.airlineratings.com/news...hows-testing-effectively-deters-covid-spread/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2021/09/17/covid-spread-on-planes-testing-study/ https://www.travelpulse.com/news/ai...testing-before-flights-helps-stop-spread.html The study relates to testing prior to plane travel: quote from the last of the linked articles: "A new study found the risk of exposure to COVID-19 while traveling drops to less than 0.1 percent when all travelers test negative 72 hours before their flight. According to data from Delta Air Lines and the Mayo Clinic Proceedings, performing a single COVID-19 molecular test within 72 hours of departure could decrease the rate of people actively infected onboard to a level significantly lower than active community infection rates." They also have some info about the false positive and negative rates they discovered.

And the study itself: https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(21)00644-3/fulltext#relatedArticles

In that study, there was no control group. We don't know how people would have fared in other pre-flight testing. There is no comparison to tests done at any other time, so we really don't know if that timing is optimal.

We also don't know how many people tested positive in that group of passengers at the 3 day mark. It may have only been a few, it may have been lots. That information is vital to judge if the test is really necessary.

All that study is really showing is how many people tested positive/negative...it doesn't really study what combination of testing is optimal.

 

[Starwind]

In that study, there was no control group. We don't know how people would have fared in other pre-flight testing. There is no comparison to tests done at any other time, so we really don't know if that timing is optimal.

We also don't know how many people tested positive in that group of passengers at the 3 day mark. It may have only been a few, it may have been lots. That information is vital to judge if the test is really necessary.

All that study is really showing is how many people tested positive/negative...it doesn't really study what combination of testing is optimal.

There are definitely limitations to the study.

They used the community positivity rates as their comparator to extrapolate how many positives they would have expected w/o any testing. But also note that the testing itself could have served as a deterrent to travel for some people and gave some possible reasons why.

Despite the limitations it is the only study I have seen that even tries looking at the issue.

 

[pigletto]

This thread definitely deserves to be revived today. After a year and seven months, the USA land border has opened to Canadians today.

 

[mamaofsix]

FINALLY, today is the day. I had no idea when this thread started just how long it was going to take.

Definitely reason for celebration.

 

[damo]

Here is the wait time website....
https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/border-times-us

 

[2Lunds]

I have a co-worker driving over today (we live about 1.5hrs from the border and he was lining up last night) so I'll be able to share his experience at least. He's travelling to Orlando, Naples, then to Louisiana, then flying home to WPG, so we'll get a full run-down on driving and flying.

 

[KNovacovschi]

I’ve been watching wait times at Queenston-Lewiston and Peace Bridge and all things considering the wait times have not been nearly as bad as they say. The longest was at the Peace Bridge at 2am with a 155 min wait but that has dropped drastically. I’m going over for the day on Thursday to pick my stuff up from the post office so hoping border waits stay the same.

 

[lizzyb]

I hope they drop the test for day trippers. Makes no sense and is just a money grab.

 

[ellbell]

I’ve been watching wait times at Queenston-Lewiston and Peace Bridge and all things considering the wait times have not been nearly as bad as they say. The longest was at the Peace Bridge at 2am with a 155 min wait but that has dropped drastically. I’m going over for the day on Thursday to pick my stuff up from the post office so hoping border waits stay the same.

I think it helped that they opened the border on a Monday. I guessing weekend times will be a lot higher this weekend.

What are you doing for testing? Are you testing before you go or when you get there?

 

[KNovacovschi]

I think it helped that they opened the border on a Monday. I guessing weekend times will be a lot higher this weekend.

What are you doing for testing? Are you testing before you go or when you get there?

Most likely.

I’m going to a location in Milton for a PCR test tomorrow. We were going to go on Saturday for the night but we don’t want to chance the test results from Walgreens or CVS not being received in time so I’m just going to do it tomorrow and go by myself on Thursday.

 

[archdandy]

Our upcoming trip in January is a go now that the border is open! We are flying out of Buffalo. I know I need to have the PCR test done 72 hours before departing the U.S. but what do I need to cross the border? Will we need another negative test to cross the border or to get on the flight in Buffalo? I'm just confused at this point on what needs to be done before we can leave. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[tlcdoula]

Sorry if this is posted on the thread, we have had a last minute change of plans and are not driving down. I understand we do not need a test to drive across the border from Canada into the US but do we need to do anything else?

I am off to look on the us site and see what I can find..

 

[hdrolfe]

Sorry if this is posted on the thread, we have had a last minute change of plans and are not driving down. I understand we do not need a test to drive across the border from Canada into the US but do we need to do anything else?

I am off to look on the us site and see what I can find..

Essentially:
Driving to US - no test (if vaccinated)
Flying to US - antigen test

Driving to Canada or Flying to Canada - PCR/Molecular Test

 

[Madame]

Sorry if this is posted on the thread, we have had a last minute change of plans and are not driving down. I understand we do not need a test to drive across the border from Canada into the US but do we need to do anything else?

I am off to look on the us site and see what I can find..

We're driving too. All of the instability with regards to US carriers lately and the potential for strikes (someone who works for the TSA hinted in a DVC FB group I'm in, at rotating protest strikes to come leading up to the holidays - didn't specifiy if it was Thanksgiving or Christmas. We could fly Spirit for $2000 USD, but driving seems the better option at this point and we've done it several times before so not a huge deal. No test required either

 

[motherof4]

So as I sit her in Buffalo airport, just wanted to share my experience…crossed over last night, no wait, was a ghost town, showed our passports and answered all the usually including “are you fully vaccinated?”. Did not need to show proof and away we went. Checking into airport this am was a breeze as always, did not need to show anything but our passport and boarding pass. We did get a Walmart antigen test before we left, just in case as I wasn’t too sure what to expect at the airport!