Ontario's PCR testing change - could create future travel issues.

[DirtyDawg]

 

37 minutes ago, CKCruising said:

Since you were outside of the US, the quarantine period is at minimum until you receive the test 😉  Since you are dealing with the border, not the province, the quarantine for a positive test is 10 days (and possibly 14 for some of your travelling party)

Note our day 8 tests took 11 and 13 days (although they were submitted together).

You're right. If I caught Covid in Ontario the isolation period for our nicer, gentler version of Omicron would be 5 days but as we all know, the non-U.S. International version of the Omicron variant needs a 10 day isolation period after waiting for your test results for 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 or 7 or 8 or 9 or 10 or...... days! 😉

 

9 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

The lab personnel weren't amused by your earlier post and have "accidentally" lost your sample. 😛 

I think I will finish my isolation at their houses up in Ottawa.  That will get them off their butts.  😁

[JillK]

On 1/14/2022 at 11:48 PM, CKCruising said:

I've thought this through many times (probably more than the government, but that doesn't say much) and still don't have a clear idea.  The issue is that by March break, every child in every school will probably come in contact with the virus.  No doubt at least one in every class will be off with symptoms most days (I think you need to be off 5 days), so what good is knowing someone in your child's class is off?  With Omicron, you can probably assume the entire class is a close contact.

In my son's case, he had no symptoms, so without testing, I would have sent him to school without a second thought.  It worries me there will be a lot more cases like that and even more that ignore the symptoms (who doesn't have a sore throat in the winter, etc.).

The government is in a tough place because it's 50-50 whether the mental health issues due to online learning are more important than keeping the virus away from the children (and no doubt the adults as they will bring it home).  February is going to be a tough month.

 

You're right that the next 4 - 6 weeks are going to be interesting with the kids going back to school but this is such a tough call. As much as I want to keep them home so they can be safe, I see the fundamental harm online learning is doing to my four kids' overall well being. They have suffered too much - mental health, socialization, independence, cancelled activities, isolation from extended family, stunted learning in general. 

 

We were on the "you have a case of COVID in your class" merry-go-round with both my elementary aged kids in the fall and from our experience it was a faulty process anyhow (one false alarm after closing the class, two notifications that came too late in the "days since last contact" to have helped had my son been positive in terms of reducing transmission to the rest of the family). 

 

How is this supposed to be managed with no testing available to confirm cases? In the absence of confirmations, the headline of "assume you have it if you have two of the minor symptoms" is going to have to take precedence. 

 

In November I booked a March break cruise using FCC from the one that was cancelled in 2020. In light of the current situation and the unknown of what the next few weeks will bring, I'm struggling to see how we can continue to plan on going. Cannot believe we are back in the same situation with debating whether or not to take our trip as we were in early March 2020!!

[DirtyDawg]

19 hours ago, DirtyDawg said:

I think I will finish my isolation at their houses up in Ottawa.  That will get them off their butts.  😁

That did it. Just got my Positive test results back. 9.5 days after the test at Pearson but only a few hours after I threatened to finish my isolation at the lab staffs' houses in Ottawa! 🥳

 

So now technically I will need to isolate for 10 more days for a total of 20 days vs 5 days for my son who got Covid at a New Year's party in Canada. Oh well, isolation in a Canadian winter is not very different from a regular Covid winter in Canada. 

 

On the upside, now that I have the official positive test I can get back into Canada for 180 days without a new PCR test. Of course, I will have to find somewhere I really want to go in the middle of a pandemic again. Perhaps a road trip to Hilton Head for some pre-season golf. Perhaps back to the DR.  Anyone know if I can cruise with a positive test result?

 

Fun times!

 

[Fouremco]

5 minutes ago, DirtyDawg said:

That did it. Just got my Positive test results back. 9.5 days after the test at Pearson but only a few hours after I threatened to finish my isolation at the lab staffs' houses in Ottawa! 🥳

 

Actually, your test was negative, but the lab personnel have a way of getting back at people who threaten them! 😇

[edrussell]

I guess you caught that dreaded double covid....  Requiring much longer periods of isolation as opposed to catching it your local Walmart.  You evil traveler you!  Wow is my sarcasm and frustration with the application of 'restrictions' showing?

 

[mousefan73]

Hello Canadian Friends, 

This thread has helped me a bit in trying to sort things out. I am America, but live in Germany and will be flying in with my mom from Frankfurt to Vancouver for the Disney Wonder that sails ( if planned lol) on April 26th. I actually started a thread over on the port of calls boards.. The more I read into what Canada requires I am like Oh Dear God for all of us flying to Vancouver just to get on a boat that actually sails mainly US ports. It seems as Canadians you guys have issues to, but at least you are "home" . What about us Tourists that actually want to enter Canada? 

 

Here are my issues in details.. 

 

[DirtyDawg]

1 hour ago, edrussell said:

I guess you caught that dreaded double covid....  Requiring much longer periods of isolation as opposed to catching it your local Walmart.  You evil traveler you!  Wow is my sarcasm and frustration with the application of 'restrictions' showing?

 

Our Canadian system and execution is pretty screwy right now but at least we are not Australia. 😁 

Locals; "Please come in and defend your tennis title and make a few $mil."

Feds;" No you don't! Now stay in a cheap hotel instead of the Ritz."

Court; "Feds were wrong. Please, go stay at the Ritz. Go play tennis."

Feds; "No you don't! Back you go to the Motel 6."

Court: "Ya, the Feds are right this time. Out you go and don't let the door hit you in your a$$ on your way out."

G'day Mate!

 

[*Miss G*]

1 hour ago, mousefan73 said:

Hello Canadian Friends, 

This thread has helped me a bit in trying to sort things out. I am America, but live in Germany and will be flying in with my mom from Frankfurt to Vancouver for the Disney Wonder that sails ( if planned lol) on April 26th. I actually started a thread over on the port of calls boards.. The more I read into what Canada requires I am like Oh Dear God for all of us flying to Vancouver just to get on a boat that actually sails mainly US ports. It seems as Canadians you guys have issues to, but at least you are "home" . What about us Tourists that actually want to enter Canada? 

 

Here are my issues in details.. 

 

 

Definitely I would be keeping an eye on the Disney board and website for cancelled cruises but I wouldn’t focus too much negativity on the Canadian process as things change so quickly.

 

Edited to remove some statements which differ from yesterday’s new rules.  Basically I would wait to worry until this surge dies down as there will be NEW new rules next month.

Edited January 16, 2022 by *Miss G*

[DHP1]

1 hour ago, mousefan73 said:

Hello Canadian Friends, 

This thread has helped me a bit in trying to sort things out. I am America, but live in Germany and will be flying in with my mom from Frankfurt to Vancouver for the Disney Wonder that sails ( if planned lol) on April 26th. I actually started a thread over on the port of calls boards.. The more I read into what Canada requires I am like Oh Dear God for all of us flying to Vancouver just to get on a boat that actually sails mainly US ports. It seems as Canadians you guys have issues to, but at least you are "home" . What about us Tourists that actually want to enter Canada? 

 

Here are my issues in details.. 

 

Don’t forget you also need an Antigen Test prior to enter USA from Canada. I wish you all the best on your trip. Your nose is going to be sore when all is done. One more thing, you will also need to be tested prior to boarding your ship. Coming home, same procedure all over again. 

[mousefan73]

10 minutes ago, DHP1 said:

Don’t forget you also need an Antigen Test prior to enter USA from Canada. I wish you all the best on your trip. Your nose is going to be sore when all is done. One more thing, you will also need to be tested prior to boarding your ship. Coming home, same procedure all over again. 

I’ve flown many times from Germany into the US and it’s really no big deal. All you need is the antigen test before you board the flight. So at least if I’m positive I just go back home. Also for people that fly into the US internationally the entire burden is put on the airlines to check everything. US immigration doesn’t look at anything Covid related just wants to see your passport or ESTA if you’re foreign. What makes me nervous is that in Canada I’ve been reading they can ask for a second test and tourist need to come up with a quarantine plan. When I saw that I was like oh dear God. So I’ll be doing some research on that.

[bookbabe]

If you have a Star subscription, this article has an interesting comparison of Canada vs Aruba in how Covid-positives are treated.  Really makes me want to switch some of our travel plans to Aruba, they seem to demonstrate a lot more of the stereotypical Canadian “kindness” that our own government and border services folks seem to have forgotten lately.

 

https://www.thestar.com/news/insight/2022/01/16/tropic-lockdown-my-family-vacation-in-quarantine.html

 

[DHP1]

1 hour ago, mousefan73 said:

Hello Canadian Friends, 

This thread has helped me a bit in trying to sort things out. I am America, but live in Germany and will be flying in with my mom from Frankfurt to Vancouver for the Disney Wonder that sails ( if planned lol) on April 26th. I actually started a thread over on the port of calls boards.. The more I read into what Canada requires I am like Oh Dear God for all of us flying to Vancouver just to get on a boat that actually sails mainly US ports. It seems as Canadians you guys have issues to, but at least you are "home" . What about us Tourists that actually want to enter Canada? 

 

Here are my issues in details.. 

 

Here in Canada we don't know what the rules are any more.  One thing I do know from reading the Government website when entering Canada you "may" be selected for a test.  Since you are in transit. that means you can still travel to your destination and then when you arrive you must quarantine until you get your test results.  Not sure what will happen in your case since your travelling to USA.  

[DHP1]

6 minutes ago, bookbabe said:

If you have a Star subscription, this article has an interesting comparison of Canada vs Aruba in how Covid-positives are treated.  Really makes me want to switch some of our travel plans to Aruba, they seem to demonstrate a lot more of the stereotypical Canadian “kindness” that our own government and border services folks seem to have forgotten lately.

 

https://www.thestar.com/news/insight/2022/01/16/tropic-lockdown-my-family-vacation-in-quarantine.html

 

This is definitely not the time to travel and I'm glad I cancel our March Cruise.  To much hassle to go through.  Well wait and sit this one out.  

[mousefan73]

6 minutes ago, DHP1 said:

Here in Canada we don't know what the rules are any more.  One thing I do know from reading the Government website when entering Canada you "may" be selected for a test.  Since you are in transit. that means you can still travel to your destination and then when you arrive you must quarantine until you get your test results.  Not sure what will happen in your case since your travelling to USA.  

No we will be flying directly into Vancouver from Germany. Sorry if I wasn’t clear I was just saying that I have been traveling to the US lately and was comparing. But I know things can change for the good or worse in the next few weeksNo we will be flying directly into Vancouver from Germany. Sorry if I wasn’t clear I was just saying that I have been traveling to the US lately and was comparing. But I know things can change for the good or worse in the next few weeks

[DHP1]

1 minute ago, mousefan73 said:

No we will be flying directly into Vancouver from Germany. Sorry if I wasn’t clear I was just saying that I have been traveling to the US lately and was comparing. But I know things can change for the good or worse in the next few weeksNo we will be flying directly into Vancouver from Germany. Sorry if I wasn’t clear I was just saying that I have been traveling to the US lately and was comparing. But I know things can change for the good or worse in the next few weeks

When arriving into Canada and you do get selected for testing, then you are required to quarantine up to 5 days until you get your test results. And the Government does check this by visiting your home or by phone.  

[Fouremco]

31 minutes ago, mousefan73 said:

Hello Canadian Friends, 

This thread has helped me a bit in trying to sort things out. I am America, but live in Germany and will be flying in with my mom from Frankfurt to Vancouver for the Disney Wonder that sails ( if planned lol) on April 26th. I actually started a thread over on the port of calls boards.. The more I read into what Canada requires I am like Oh Dear God for all of us flying to Vancouver just to get on a boat that actually sails mainly US ports. It seems as Canadians you guys have issues to, but at least you are "home" . What about us Tourists that actually want to enter Canada? 

 

Here are my issues in details.. 

 

Anyone wanting to cruise anywhere within the next few months has to be extremely flexible and recognize that countries and cruise lines are changing policies almost daily in an ongoing response to whatever new problems COVID sends our way. My guess is that, by April, the government of Canada will have eased many of the restrictions now in place, and that if you have a negative test prior to boarding your flight to Canada, you won't need to be tested upon arrival. Unfortunately for people such as yourself, planning for April is very much a guessing game right now, but with the Alaska cruise season on the horizon, I think/hope that you should have some answers within the next couple of months.

[DirtyDawg]

3 hours ago, bookbabe said:

If you have a Star subscription, this article has an interesting comparison of Canada vs Aruba in how Covid-positives are treated.  Really makes me want to switch some of our travel plans to Aruba, they seem to demonstrate a lot more of the stereotypical Canadian “kindness” that our own government and border services folks seem to have forgotten lately.

 

https://www.thestar.com/news/insight/2022/01/16/tropic-lockdown-my-family-vacation-in-quarantine.html

 

Interesting article but a bit over the top for me. "In Canada, citizens are made to feel like criminals for travelling." 🙄  I think the writer needs to spend her quarantine time at one of our Women's correctional institutions to experience how Canada really treats criminals. 

 

An old buddy of mine just retired from the Ontario Corrections Ministry  where he was in management for several of the women's' institutions. I'm sure he still has some pull and could get the writer a 'reservation' . 😉

 

 

Edited January 17, 2022 by DirtyDawg

[bortman23]

1 hour ago, DirtyDawg said:

Interesting article but a bit over the top for me. "In Canada, citizens are made to feel like criminals for travelling." 🙄  I think the writer needs to spend her quarantine time at one of our Women's correctional institutions to experience how Canada really treats criminals. 

 

An old buddy of mine just retired from the Ontario Corrections Ministry  where he was in management for several of the women's' institutions. I'm sure he still has some pull and could get the writer a 'reservation' . 😉

 

 

 

Haha yeah, pretty outrageous statement. Let's face it, travel during a global pandemic (no, it's not endemic YET), is a luxury. If we/anyone chooses to travel, they need to be ready for more things to go wrong etc. 

 

I don't imagine return tests will be going away anytime soon. But we can hope for a switch to antigen over PCR when returning to Canada.

[A&L_Ont]

12 hours ago, DirtyDawg said:

Interesting article but a bit over the top for me. "In Canada, citizens are made to feel like criminals for travelling." 🙄  I think the writer needs to spend her quarantine time at one of our Women's correctional institutions to experience how Canada really treats criminals. 

 

An old buddy of mine just retired from the Ontario Corrections Ministry  where he was in management for several of the women's' institutions. I'm sure he still has some pull and could get the writer a 'reservation' . 😉

 

I read the article to my wife. First words she said were “hope she enjoyed her vacation”. My wife is right. I also take it with a grain of salt because it is a Star story. 🤷‍♂️

 

However the article also showed the disconnect between federal and local isolation protocols.  Meanwhile anyone flying in with a negative test can be positive the day after they return home and go about the community being asymptomatic. It truly is illogical at this point. 
 

I did see at least when the article was written she did return prior the “rules” with a positive and has yet to get the $5,000 fine. 

Edited January 17, 2022 by A&L_Ont

[DirtyDawg]

12 hours ago, bortman23 said:

I don't imagine return tests will be going away anytime soon. But we can hope for a switch to antigen over PCR when returning to Canada.

'switch' or 'Switch'? 🙂

[DirtyDawg]

1 hour ago, A&L_Ont said:

 

I read the article to my wife. First words she said were “hope she enjoyed her vacation”. My wife is right. I also take it with a grain of salt because it is a Star story. 🤷‍♂️

 

However the article also showed the disconnect between federal and local isolation protocols.  Meanwhile anyone flying in with a negative test can be positive the day after they return home and go about the community being asymptomatic. It truly is illogical at this point. 
 

I did see at least when the article was written she did return prior the “rules” with a positive and has yet to get the $5,000 fine. 

Yes, the article points out the disconnect between the Feds and the Provinces over isolation protocols but this is Canada, there is almost always a disconnect between the Feds and the Provinces on everything. The real news story would be if there weren't any disconnect! 😉

 

I my lifetime, "Government Logic" has always been and will always be an oxymoron. 

 

Just like 'Stanley Cup Champion Toronto Maples Leafs'. 😪

 

 

 

 

 

[broberts]

4 hours ago, DirtyDawg said:

Yes, the article points out the disconnect between the Feds and the Provinces over isolation protocols but this is Canada, there is almost always a disconnect between the Feds and the Provinces on everything. The real news story would be if there weren't any disconnect! 😉

 

I my lifetime, "Government Logic" has always been and will always be an oxymoron. 

 

Just like 'Stanley Cup Champion Toronto Maples Leafs'. 😪

 

 

 

 

 

 

That last one is just cruel. 😭