Qantas will be requiring all passengers departing their flights from Vancouver to have had a < 72hour Covid test. So for those lucky folks who say 48-72 hrs out will be in Whistler or Revelstoke or Red Mountain or wherever - how does one get an asymptomatic Covid test in these sorts of places ??
Pre departure Covid test in Canada. How ?
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Join the conversation with a better online communityAnswering my own query - I've had multiple responses confirming that the only places you'll get the required travel PCR test is Calgary, Vancouver, Kelowna or Kamloops. And probably no later than 30 hours before your flight. Better factor that into one's planning
Answering my own query - I've had multiple responses confirming that the only places you'll get the required travel PCR test is Calgary, Vancouver, Kelowna or Kamloops. And probably no later than 30 hours before your flight. Better factor that into one's planning
Healthy travel at YLW
We want to help you move through the airport safely and with confidence. We're working closely with industry experts and government and health officials to implement safety measures so you feel confident taking off on your next trip. The Government of Canada has issued a number of directives and...
ylw.kelowna.ca
Sheesh. $240 by appointment only plus losing potential 2 days out of a trip.
Healthy travel at YLW
We want to help you move through the airport safely and with confidence. We're working closely with industry experts and government and health officials to implement safety measures so you feel confident taking off on your next trip. The Government of Canada has issued a number of directives and...
ylw.kelowna.ca
You being in the know, would you think the resorts might/should be offering such testing in their medical centres?
I had to pay $280 NZD for a travel related covid test in Queenstown to fly back to the USA. Cost of travel during a pandemic.
Best solution right now for America is these at home test kits that you buy before you depart (BinaxNow) and include a virtual visit with an authorized person who watches you do the test and verifies the result and gives you the letter for travel. They're about $70USD for tests+virtual visit. Hopefully Australia loosens restrictions to allow for something like that, but I would not hold my breath.
I strongly doubt it, but who really knows until the time comes.
But by having the testing centers at major travel hubs, they maintain some degree of control & standardization.LifeLabs (https://www.lifelabs.com/flyclear/predeparture/?myProvince=bc) are offering pre-departure tests for $150 (+tax). Specimens can be collected at Shoppers Drug Marts in Kamloops and Kelowna for the interior, but those are the only interior locations. West Vancouver Shoppers Drug Mart is the closest specimen collection to Whistler.
I also understand that there are self-testing kits that are offered to those arriving in Canada and are required to take post-arrival tests. These are done under medical supervision via videolink. I suppose it is possible that these could also be used as a means to collect specimens for pre-departure tests too.
As @main street says, it is going to be a wait and see situation - things are certain to change as international travel opens up.
An "asymptomatic Covid test" is a test where your test result is positive, but you don't have any symptoms.
Qantas will require proof of a COVID test where your result is negative. You also need to determine what type of test Qantas/ Australian authorities require upon reentry to Australia. (PCR or Rapid Antigen test)
## Edit the health.gov.au site says "COVID-19 PCR testing is required". This may change by Jan/Feb, as there has been discussion about accepting Rapid Antigen tests)
It is the nature of capitalism that a service will appear to fill a niche. Relax and wait for it to happen.
Most annoying though - the Life Labs booking site will only accept Canadian phone numbers !
It's the same here, when my son was over from NYC last month he had to give them my wife's number in order to receive a result.I used https://www.gorapidtest.ca/ in Banff for my pre-departure test back to Australia. It was not cheap (CA$203 with tax), but meant I didn't lose any ski days waiting for a test in Calgary or Vancouver. I had my test @ 10:30am and got the results back around 2am that night. The results are sent via email.
You can pay extra to get the results back in 12 hours.Even trying to pre-register for the arrivals testing at YVR - the Life Labs site won't accept ou AU phone numbers. Need 10 digits, and can't start with 0
Try international phone number
Add +61
Drop the leading 0 from your phone number
I just used the ph number of my accom. I figure I can update there when talking to a person but yeah, their system is crap.
I have given up trying , if I get selected or not I am happy either wayFor Qantas and Australia, you require a PCR before departure. On arrival in Australia, you take a rapid antigen when you get home. Or such was last weeks requirements. Anywhere from $150 to $300 I found through my research.
Some places require you to book in 14 days in advance such is the demand right now.
Works out an expensive process for multiple travellers, or a family. Then when a flight gets cancelled, you have to go through the whole process again.
My wife pre booked the lifelabs test at the airport. She used my US mobile number to do it and that was fine.
When she arrived in Vancouver she missed the testing line and was given a take home PCR test.
Arriving in Canmore in Alberta she discovered she has to book an online video call to administer the test. That was day 2 on arrival. She then took it straight to Shoppers Drug Mart, however the Fed Ex had already left. Test picked up on day three. It will be overnight before arriving in Vancouver at Lifelabs, Day 4. They say online that they have a backlog and it could take up to five days.
So, potentially nine days before receiving a negative PCR Test.
She has an email today, Day 4 from Health Canada telling her under Emergency Orders she must quarantine for fourteen days or until Lifelabs give her a negative PCR result and she must call an number ( given ) to report her health status every day up until clear.
Don't do the pre book. Move your connecting flight back a few hours and stand inline. Or don't ski or go out for the first week of your visit.We did the RAT at Van airport, cost $79 and results came through email in 20mins
31st January 2022The change from PCR to RAT is a complete game changer. $126 though - at Kelowna airport. Result 30 minutes.
As I have said in other threads I would only get a return test at the airport if you know the result and are confident to of a negative.
If you can carry a test and do your own test first at least you can be more confident.
The risk at the airport is you likely hand over any control of your isolation location. I have heard horror stories of people in isolation o/s where as we had an amazing experience. Our insurer had commented on our mental state compared to many of the other people they were dealing with and the main reason was we were significantly more comfortable and also not facing the fear that one could pass to another as we were separated.
I tend to agree with that. If you do a RAT at the airport at the last minute and it’s positive you’ve got an “oh shit what do I do” moment. If you do a RAT or PCR ahead of time you have some notice before your flight of the result, and have some time to make plans outside a fog of panic. Plus if you’re at a ski resort when you get the adverse result, you get to stay there. Sosoon as youre clear, you can ski again* until your 14 days clear is up.
The rules changed after I had booked my return PCR, but before I did it. I still proceeded with it despite the extra cost for that reason. I’d much prefer to isolate at Sun Peaks than Vancouver.
* check local rules, but I’m pretty sure that’s right.
@Annabuzzy i think the 14 days is only if you are still showing a positive result.
I should add people need to check individually as our experience was with an under 12. We declared the covid result and still got the go ahead to return as we had a negative test since.
