Toronto Airport (YYZ), Switch Health Testing and Flight Issues - January 3, 2022

[Fouremco]

59 minutes ago, DirtyDawg said:

Why does anyone care where the PCR tests are processed?

I don't think anyone does, other than the possible impact on turn around time. My car comes from Japan too, but I'd be annoyed if I had to send it there for servicing! 😇

[DirtyDawg]

38 minutes ago, AlbertaCruisers said:

I don't think anyone cares about the lab location, it is just interesting.  People who were tested Friday got one of their results today, from a lab in Toronto.  We got tested on Monday, looks like our tests were flew to Ottawa, my husband got his result today (after approximately 134 hours) and I'm still waiting - I will be at 6 days waiting in 2 hours.  

Thanks for clarifying that.

I guess the Ottawa lab was built by the same folks who built their new LRT's. 

... and run by Eugene Melnyk! 

 

Sorry @Fouremco but this is a goldmine for Ottawa jokes.  😇

 

If you send a PCR test to Toronto, you get it done. Send a PCR test to Ottawa and they talk about getting it done. And talk.... and talk.... and talk.... 

 

Edited January 9, 2022 by DirtyDawg

[Fouremco]

3 minutes ago, DirtyDawg said:

Thanks for clarifying that.

I guess the Ottawa lab was built by the same folks who built their new LRT's. 

... and run by Eugene Melnyk! 

 

Sorry @Fouremco this is a goldmine for Ottawa jokes.  😇

No need to apologize, we Ottawans appreciate a good joke, even if it is at our expense! 

[FawnRiver]

8 hours ago, K_e_short said:

Going to chime in here with some politics for a lovely snowy Sunday morning 🙂

 

Switch Health is making a lot of money off Covid.

 

They have contracts to do airport testing. They have contracts to do regular pcr testing. They have contracts to do vaccination clinics.

If you search online you will see quite a lot of negative comments.

 

There is anger that pcr tests from travellers are being processed before pcr tests for health care providers who can't get back to work until they get results.

There is anger that the government is pushing for Switch Health vaccine clinics when the PHU clinics have space.

 

This just emphasizes that the system is broken.

 

And I'm allowed to say this since I just got back from a cruise - the system doesn't restrict people from traveling. All it does is create more hoops to jump through. Jumping through the hoops doesn't make things safer. It's all optics.

 

It does restrict travel to those who have the money to spare or the willingness to pay extra to travel.  I do agree with you about appearances though, the hoops make the government look good, regardless of whether or not their rules are actually effective.

[Atlantic Girl]

I have no idea why we were given at home tests in Halifax. They told us to do them Day 1and then Day 3. At that time we had 2 PCR tests within one day, one in Florida , and one in Toronto. What point is there in doing more testing? 

 

[Fouremco]

3 hours ago, Atlantic Girl said:

I have no idea why we were given at home tests in Halifax. They told us to do them Day 1and then Day 3. At that time we had 2 PCR tests within one day, one in Florida , and one in Toronto. What point is there in doing more testing? 

 

Thanks. If I may, a quick follow up: who was giving you the kits, and why 2 tests? I wonder if it was an HRM initiative rather than part of the GOC program.

[AlbertaCruisers]

I finally got my results this morning, so approximately 160 hours from when the test was administered (Air Canada terminal at Pearson).

[K_e_short]

1 hour ago, AlbertaCruisers said:

I finally got my results this morning, so approximately 160 hours from when the test was administered (Air Canada terminal at Pearson).

 Oh thank goodness.

 

So glad you got your results and can go outside and do things now.. or wait everything is closed 🙂

 

 

[AlbertaCruisers]

3 minutes ago, K_e_short said:

 Oh thank goodness.

 

So glad you got your results and can go outside and do things now.. or wait everything is closed 🙂

 

 

 

I think we are a bit less closed here in Alberta!

[K_e_short]

8 minutes ago, AlbertaCruisers said:

 

I think we are a bit less closed here in Alberta!

 Reading is hard you know.

It's not like your nickname on here is clear about where you are from. 🙂

 

Woohoo! Go out! Enjoy!

 

Don't come to Ontario. It's a bit of a disaster right now 🙂

[AlbertaCruisers]

24 minutes ago, K_e_short said:

 Reading is hard you know.

It's not like your nickname on here is clear about where you are from. 🙂

 

Woohoo! Go out! Enjoy!

 

Don't come to Ontario. It's a bit of a disaster right now 🙂

 

The funny thing is I don't really go out - too scary!!  I work from home and cruise - 🙂!  Got a bit lucky this time I think.  Cruising was much less stressful in August and Oct! 

[Atlantic Girl]

fouremco    You got me wondering who was responsible for the tests that we were given in Halifax. I checked and it appears to be a provincial initiative. The test sheet indicates that it is Nova Scotia Health who prepared the kits.

[Fouremco]

20 minutes ago, Atlantic Girl said:

fouremco    You got me wondering who was responsible for the tests that we were given in Halifax. I checked and it appears to be a provincial initiative. The test sheet indicates that it is Nova Scotia Health who prepared the kits.

OK, I'm impressed. I think that's a good initiative on Nova Scotia Health's part to help mitigate the Omicron spread. They could perhaps find a way of skipping people who have just flown in from another country before a connecting flight to YHZ, as you did, but I like the plan.

[Oceangoer2]

On 1/10/2022 at 11:54 AM, AlbertaCruisers said:

I finally got my results this morning, so approximately 160 hours from when the test was administered (Air Canada terminal at Pearson).

I assume your test was negative....sorry you had such a bad experience.  They system is overwhelmed for sure and you got caught in the bad end of it.

[1kaper]

On 1/10/2022 at 6:09 PM, Fouremco said:

OK, I'm impressed. I think that's a good initiative on Nova Scotia Health's part to help mitigate the Omicron spread. They could perhaps find a way of skipping people who have just flown in from another country before a connecting flight to YHZ, as you did, but I like the plan.

 

They were giving them out back when I travelled in September. Back then we had a test 3 days before departure from the US and no test when we arrived in Toronto.  

But given the lack of availability in rapid tests here, it would be really nice if they could do just that.  

[AlbertaCruisers]

46 minutes ago, Oceangoer2 said:

I assume your test was negative....sorry you had such a bad experience.  They system is overwhelmed for sure and you got caught in the bad end of it.

 

Yep, we were both negative.  Thanks.

[Fouremco]

2 hours ago, AlbertaCruisers said:

 

Yep, we were both negative.  Thanks.

You're always so negative!  😇

[AlbertaCruisers]

11 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

You're always so negative!  😇

 

One of the few times when it is a good time to be negative!!