Canada poised to end pre-arrival COVID-19 testing for travellers

[KenCP]

Excellent news!!!

Canada is expected to announce an end to pre-arrival COVID-19 testing for vaccinated travellers, two federal government sources told Global News.

The requirement will be dropped by the end of March, the sources said. The formal announcement to the change could come as soon as Thursday.

https://globalnews.ca/news/8687177/canada-pre-arrival-covid-testing-travellers/

[smokeybandit]

Hopefully this gets applied to their cruise ship testing rules, too

[KenCP]

7 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

Hopefully this gets applied to their cruise ship testing rules, too

I hope so too!!.  So nerve racking especially when you have to travel for 12 hours on planes and going through airports hoping not to pick it up before your cruise.

[Pattycruise]

Would be nice if the US ends testing requirements for international flights!

[TheSeaCallsMyName]

50 minutes ago, Pattycruise said:

Would be nice if the US ends testing requirements for international flights!

My thoughts exactly.

[CruiseMom82]

Will we still have to test to get on a cruise? We are cruising out of Vancouver to Alaska in May.

[Pattycruise]

2 hours ago, CruiseMom82 said:

Will we still have to test to get on a cruise? We are cruising out of Vancouver to Alaska in May.

Yes, cruise lines make their own rules regarding testing.  

[smokeybandit]

Canada got rid of post-cruise/port stop testing. Still keeping the pre-cruise testing, but I assume that's to appease the cruise lines already following the CDC CSO

[Moby Dick]

It would be great to end the testing requirement, for sure.  But, it is kinda too late for us.  We cruise on May 13, Ovation, Alaska and we received our test kits today that we purchased from Royal Caribbean's website.  So, if it is changed, we just wasted over 70 dollars.  Not complaining, I'm happy to waste that 70 bucks to get rid of ALL the COVID mandates/rules/edicts/whatevers from businesses and governments.  

[Moby Dick]

Okay, I now have a question about rapid testing.  It's really too late for us as we already purchased 2 of Royal Caribbean's suggested telehealth kits.  But, I was just thinking the if I/we screw one or both up, where're screwed.  So, I call our local urgent care facility, the only local facility that does rapid testing with immediate results, and ask about their rapid testing.  Their answers to my questions were, "we do molecular rapid testing but we also do PCR testing that takes at least 3 days for the results as they are sent out".  So, my question to those that have medical knowledge in this area, RCCL says, "

• A molecular test, also called a PCR test or NAAT test – our testing requirements call this a “PCR test”.  I think, "our testing requirements call this a PCR test" actually answers my basic question.  But, I just want assurances.  I'm probably over reacting. 

If my local testing facility calls this just a molecular test and say that a PCR test is something else, am I safe with the molecular test, just in case we, somehow, screw up the telehealth test(s).  We are 70+ and frequently make mistakes or misunderstand things.  If we screw up the telehealth tests, we can walk in to the urgent care facility and get tested and have the results in less than an hour and the documentation is electronically produced.  

 

 

[KristiZ]

You will be just fine with the rapid test you have described above. That is a solid backup plan.