What happens? Previous recent infection and continue to have positive RAT.

[Belmont Babe]

We are not in this situation yet, but I have just finished isolation post Covid and my husband has just tested +ve after two days of symptoms.

We sail on Coral Princess from Sydney on 22 August, having left NZ the day before.

I have tried searching the forum for an answer.

What will be the outcome if, having recovered, either one or both of us still return a +ve RAT immediately before boarding?

Anyone with experience or knowledge of this situation?

Anyone point me to some official info for this particular situation, rather than the stock standard "If you test positive you will be denied boarding".

I'm thinking perhaps a doctors letter, or documentation from our Ministry of Health covid department.

And I'm fearful that despite an official clearance by the Head Office, a "jobsworthy" at the pier will still deny boarding.

Cheers,

Megan.

[Aus Traveller]

Just now, Belmont Babe said:

We are not in this situation yet, but I have just finished isolation post Covid and my husband has just tested +ve after two days of symptoms.

We sail on Coral Princess from Sydney on 22 August, having left NZ the day before.

I have tried searching the forum for an answer.

What will be the outcome if, having recovered, either one or both of us still return a +ve RAT immediately before boarding?

Anyone with experience or knowledge of this situation?

Anyone point me to some official info for this particular situation, rather than the stock standard "If you test positive you will be denied boarding".

I'm thinking perhaps a doctors letter, or documentation from our Ministry of Health covid department.

And I'm fearful that despite an official clearance by the Head Office, a "jobsworthy" at the pier will still deny boarding.

Cheers,

Megan.

The info from Princess is that if you test positive to COVID, whether or not you have recently recovered, you will not be able to board the ship. I note that you ask for info on this particularly situation, rather than the stock standard "if you test positive you will be denied boarding", but I can't say anything different. That is what Princess has said. I don't believe you will be able to get 'official clearance by the Head Office'. The protocols agreed between the state governments and the cruise lines are clear - only board if you have a negative test result. Sorry I can't give you any different information.

 

You say that you have finished isolation, but you don't mention your test result. Presumably it is negative or you would have stated otherwise. As you husband has had two days of symptoms and now tests positive, I suggest it is too early for you to worry that he might still test positive in three weeks' time. Take another test in a week. Hopefully you will find that you don't have anything to worry about.

 

All the best.🙂

[gogo65]

I’ve worked in the Covid world as an RN, it is highly unlikely you will test positive on a RAT three weeks later, most have a negative RAT within 10 days, however immunocompromised people may find they test positive longer. You may still test positive on PCR (with a very low viral load) but you won’t require a PCR only RAT.

 

 

Edited July 29, 2022 by gogo65

[Aus Traveller]

Just now, gogo65 said:

I’ve worked in the Covid world as an RN, it is highly unlikely you will test positive on a RAT, most have a negative RAT within 10 days, however immunocompromised people may find they test positive longer. You may still test positive on PCR (with a very low viral load).

In saying that you should be able to get a certificate of recovery from your health provider which would negate the negative test requirement. 

A certificate of recovery would not help. In the webinar from Princess, it was stated definitely that if a person still tested positive after having recovered, they would not be able to board. It is likely that was part of the agreement reached with the state governments (Q'ld, NSW & Vic) and I don't think Princess would go against it.

[gogo65]

Ahh ok, didn’t realise it was different in OZ. I’ve removed my comment about the certificate of recovery from my original post.

 

Edited July 29, 2022 by gogo65

[Aus Traveller]

4 minutes ago, gogo65 said:

Aus traveller is there no option for a certificate of recovery in Australia? Haven’t looked into it myself, just know it’s accepted through the majority of the world. 

There may be an option for a certificate of recovery, but if this isn't part of the agreement between the state governments and Princess, it wouldn't help. Keep in mind that Princess specifically stated that recovery from COVID doesn't allow a person to board if they still test positive.

 

I can understand that the OP (Belmont Babe) is concerned and trying to cover all bases, but I feel it would be better for her to wait another week before she worries too much. As you (gogo65) said earlier, it is highly unlikely her husband will still test positive three weeks after infection. A RAT test requires a much higher viral load to produce a positive test result than a PCR test does. The message there is, if you are concerned that you might test positive, use a RAT test and not PCR. 🙂

Edited July 29, 2022 by Aus Traveller

[gogo65]

Absolutely, no need for a PCR at all, in fact not recommended for at least 28days post infection.

[arxcards]

Princess isn't particularly specific, apart from saying if you test positive on your pre-cruise test, you can't cruise.

P&O has a specific response in their FAQ's about testing positive after recovering, and is still the same "If you have recovered from COVID-19 and still test positive within 10 days before your cruise departure, you will not be able to travel and you should notify us or your travel agent so we can cancel your booking."

 

See, that is the other part that is overlooked or even ignored. The pre-board RAT that you attest to is one thing, but the pre-board health survey that you attest to is more onerous, as even having two respiratory symptoms (ie a sore throat plus a cough) would exclude you from boarding, if honestly completed. I believe that the P&O & Princess health surveys are pretty much identical.

 

All guests aged 18 years or older are required to complete a health declaration prior to boarding confirming they do not have symptoms of COVID-19 or any other respiratory or gastrointestinal illness, are not required to quarantine/isolate due to being a close contact of a positive COVID-19 case, and have not tested positive to COVID-19 within 10 days before boarding. Guests will also need to declare that they have had a negative COVID-19 test result by either a PCR performed within 72 hours prior to boarding or with a self-administered Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) within 24 hours prior to boarding. A health declaration and confirmation of a negative COVID-19 test must also be completed by a parent or guardian for any dependent child they are travelling with.

[MicCanberra]

Honesty of the pax boarding is very important, not sure what the consequences would be if found out to be dishonest though.

[Aus Traveller]

22 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

Honesty of the pax boarding is very important, not sure what the consequences would be if found out to be dishonest though.

If they could prove you were dishonest, the passenger could be disembarked and not eligible for a refund or future cruise credit.

[arxcards]

On the flip side of honesty, the place I work has been tested in the opposite way. We have a covid leave allowance that doesn't affect our other leave entitlements, and there has been some healthy people who feel they have been missing out.

 

If you request time off, things are so busy with short staff, that new requests are being denied. So, a solution for a week off is to text a photo of a positive RAT to their supervisor. Apparently, not all these photos have been honestly taken. 😲

[Jean C]

3 hours ago, Belmont Babe said:

And I'm fearful that despite an official clearance by the Head Office, a "jobsworthy" at the pier will still deny boarding.

Cheers,

Megan.

Hi, I can only tell you of our experience. Local epidemiologists recommend, for a more accurate RAT test result, to swab inside of cheeks and back of throat before swabbing nostrils. We only wanted to do the minimum for fear of getting an unwanted result so just swabbed nostrils. Thankfully negative. At port terminal were asked did you do RAT test yesterday with negative result - no, did it at noon today and yes, negative. Didn’t have to show pic of negative result.  I guess they would only give third degree to passengers who looked physically unwell.

 

By the way, I noticed that each RAT stick has its own serial number clearly visible on the up-side, so not easy to fake result, if one was that way inclined 😷

Edited July 30, 2022 by Jean C

[arxcards]

7 minutes ago, Jean C said:

By the way, I noticed that each RAT stick has its own serial number clearly visible on the up-side, so not easy to fake result, if one was that way inclined 😷

Depends on the brand, here at least. Some even have QR codes on them, but my current lot have no individual identification.

[OzKiwiJJ]

2 minutes ago, arxcards said:

Depends on the brand, here at least. Some even have QR codes on them, but my current lot have no individual identification.

Nor do mine.

[Jean C]

Oh, I take back my observation then, born of a devious mind 🤫

[gogo65]

1 hour ago, arxcards said:

On the flip side of honesty, the place I work has been tested in the opposite way. We have a covid leave allowance that doesn't affect our other leave entitlements, and there has been some healthy people who feel they have been missing out.

 

If you request time off, things are so busy with short staff, that new requests are being denied. So, a solution for a week off is to text a photo of a positive RAT to their supervisor. Apparently, not all these photos have been honestly taken. 😲

We had similar with Covid special leave as a close contact, many people took a week or two off, saying they were a close contact, (like they’d been at a friends house etc) but no evidence required. 
now if you say your a close contact you can come to work, need to wear an N95 for two weeks and can’t eat with anyone or go to any afternoon teas etc, funny how no one seems to be a close contact now!

[MicCanberra]

4 hours ago, Aus Traveller said:

If they could prove you were dishonest, the passenger could be disembarked and not eligible for a refund or future cruise credit.

Okay, I wonder if that leaves them open to be sued as well?

[MicCanberra]

4 hours ago, arxcards said:

On the flip side of honesty, the place I work has been tested in the opposite way. We have a covid leave allowance that doesn't affect our other leave entitlements, and there has been some healthy people who feel they have been missing out.

 

If you request time off, things are so busy with short staff, that new requests are being denied. So, a solution for a week off is to text a photo of a positive RAT to their supervisor. Apparently, not all these photos have been honestly taken. 😲

Wow, I suppose some will do anything.

[Aus Traveller]

1 minute ago, MicCanberra said:

Okay, I wonder if that leaves them open to be sued as well?

In theory, a person who attests to something that they know is false, could face legal action. However, I doubt it would come to that.

[MicCanberra]

1 minute ago, Aus Traveller said:

In theory, a person who attests to something that they know is false, could face legal action. However, I doubt it would come to that.

Maybe not here but I know many US friends and they seem to be very litigious over there.

[arxcards]

Statutory declarations are legally binding, and depending on the severity, you could be jailed for lying on one in NSW. I don't think an attest comes up to the same level of integrity though, as you aren't signing anything. In legal terms here, an attest mostly applies to bearing witness for someone else, so I don't where that all sits as far as penalties lie.

 

There are still fines built into other forms of false covid declaration (dodgy vaxx certificates, lying to contact tracers etc), but I can't see how it would apply here now that there is no contact tracing and an easy defence of saying you misunderstood the question.

 

With the current screening and tracing, if I caught covid, there is no way I could prove who I caught it from.

[arxcards]

30 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

Wow, I suppose some will do anything.

As long as the same doesn't apply to negative pre-boarding RATs. As you say, some will do anything.