Vancouver testing sites

[Cali Viajera]

I know there is a link somewhere on this board, but can someone please post the sites to test in Vancouver? We need to test to return to US after cruise and two days in Vancouver. Would love to make that reservation now for July 2. 

Many thanks!

[sunsetme]

https://covid-medical.ca/#covidtestpricing

testing at the airport and convention center at the pier

[martincath]

6 hours ago, Cali Viajera said:

I know there is a link somewhere on this board, but can someone please post the sites to test in Vancouver? We need to test to return to US after cruise and two days in Vancouver. Would love to make that reservation now for July 2. 

Many thanks!

Here you go - if it ain't on this list, it's likely a fake - although check the date last issued, as labs can apply to be added so there may be a legit service provider whose name is working through bureaucratic red tape... personally though I wouldn't risk any service not listed, and with 2 days on land before heading home you are probably much better off in terms of finance, time, and safety to bring a test with you that can be done with remote observation instead of lining up with who-knows-how-many-randos here in a clinic with limited opening hours and forking over about twice as much cash instead of doing the test in the comfort of your hotel room whenever best suits your schedule!

[Travel R]

Thanks - will be using this info for upcoming cruise.

[botbien]

On 5/13/2022 at 5:59 PM, martincath said:

personally though I wouldn't risk any service not listed, and with 2 days on land before heading home you are probably much better off in terms of finance, time, and safety to bring a test with you that can be done with remote observation instead of lining up...

 

Hi Martincath - Hope you're doing well.  Thank you for this information. 

 

Can you please let me know how to reserve a "remote observation" (aka proctor) in Vancouver?  My family will arrive in Vancouver on a southbound Alaskan cruise with Princess, but we will stay in Vancouver the night of disembarkation day and will fly back to the U.S. the next day.  I like the idea of doing the self-test.

 

Thank you for your help as always.

[martincath]

28 minutes ago, botbien said:

Hi Martincath - Hope you're doing well.  Thank you for this information. 

 

Can you please let me know how to reserve a "remote observation" (aka proctor) in Vancouver?  My family will arrive in Vancouver on a southbound Alaskan cruise with Princess, but we will stay in Vancouver the night of disembarkation day and will fly back to the U.S. the next day.  I like the idea of doing the self-test.

 

Thank you for your help as always.

If you're US-based, the simplest thing to do is probably to buy a pack of 'test kits with proctoring service included' like eMed. Princess sell two options for you (see their page here, scroll down to the question 'Where can I get a viral Covid-19 test near me?'), Radeas and Optum. But if you already have kits, like the freebies all households could ask for in the US, there are services which will proctor ANY test as long as it's FDA approved - e.g. rapidtestandtrace will take $20pp just to watch you take a test, or they'll sell you one or many testkits with proctoring .

 

I can't recommend any particular service as better than another though - I've only ever used the Switch Health (Canadian) version at home over the internet, which was required to be used with my random border-crossing at-home test. From other posts on the boards, it seems like for families you might get better pricing buying bigger packs - I have seen folks mentioned 6-packs of tests that worked out to $25ish apiece including the tests and proctoring.

 

The actual 'how to schedule' part will vary depending on the proctoring company, but basically you follow instructions included with the test kit. Go to their website, either book a specific timeslot on their calendar of availability or just join a queue of folks who want seen right away.

 

We found that Youtube videos of the specific test were very informative - literally just search for the brand, type, even the bar code numbers on the box that you receive - and you can watch someone open that specific box, lay out the components, poke the stick up their nose the right way etc. etc. Since different types, generations, brands might have rather different instructions - e.g. we have had sticks with marks on, the observer has to see the mark disappear inside your nostril to know it went deep enough; others where as long as the 'Q tip' end was inside that was deep enough; sometimes it is 'swab cheek, then nose' and other times nose only; twirl around for 10 seconds or twirl around for 10 rotations... in short, there are no definitive 'this is what you do' as each test varies!

 

Oh, and I'm good, thanks for asking - hope you and yours are healthy and looking forward to some vaycay time!

[botbien]

@martincath Glad to hear you are doing well.  Thank you very much for a very detailed reply.  You are such a great resource for all of us fellow cruisers, as always.  I greatly appreciate it. 

 

We currently have some home test kits (iHealth Labs) we received complimentary in the US but I have noticed their website always shows "sold out" for the remote COVID test service observation.  Thank you for the link to Rapid Test & Trace.  You just solved my problem.

 

Have a fantastic day.

[skybluewaters]

The iHealth tests that were/are given out by the US government have expiration dates of July and August, apparently because they were rushed out before testing of the kits could demonstrate a longer life.  However, the US government has issued a statement saying that the tests can be used beyond the expiration date stamped on the box.

 

If my test box has a July expiration date and I do a telehealth monitored test in September, will it be disqualified? I do believe that they ask what the expiration date is when you do the telehealth testing.

 

Thanks!

[martincath]

28 minutes ago, skybluewaters said:

The iHealth tests that were/are given out by the US government have expiration dates of July and August, apparently because they were rushed out before testing of the kits could demonstrate a longer life.  However, the US government has issued a statement saying that the tests can be used beyond the expiration date stamped on the box.

 

If my test box has a July expiration date and I do a telehealth monitored test in September, will it be disqualified? I do believe that they ask what the expiration date is when you do the telehealth testing.

 

Thanks!

I'd be inclined to post this on Ask a Cruise Question - it's completely generic, and the only way to get a remotely useful answer rather than speculation is if someone else with an even-earlier-expiring test kit has managed to do a telehealth consult and been allowed to. That means you want as many eyes on the question as possible, and this forum is one of the quieter ones...

 

Actually, since this is also not even cruise-specific but about flying into the US, I'd head over to Tripadvisor, Flyertalk and other general/flight-specific travel sites to maximize the chance of someone who has faced the scenario answering, and personally I'd contact the company you plan to get proctoring service from and ask them directly - by email rather than phone so you have a 'paper' trail...

 

FWIW, given there are official statements about validity being pushed well beyond the printed-on-the-box date I would guess that any proctoring service should be aware, but this is definitely not the sort of thing to trust the guesses of Rando McInternet about! Even I don't trust my own opinion on this ;-)

[njhorseman]

2 hours ago, skybluewaters said:

The iHealth tests that were/are given out by the US government have expiration dates of July and August, apparently because they were rushed out before testing of the kits could demonstrate a longer life.  However, the US government has issued a statement saying that the tests can be used beyond the expiration date stamped on the box.

 

If my test box has a July expiration date and I do a telehealth monitored test in September, will it be disqualified? I do believe that they ask what the expiration date is when you do the telehealth testing.

 

Thanks!

The FDA maintains a web page that includes the expiration date extensions for various tests :

https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/coronavirus-covid-19-and-medical-devices/home-otc-covid-19-diagnostic-tests#list .

Your iHealth tests expiration dates have been extended:

https://www.fda.gov/media/158007/download