Arrival testing mandated again
 

See https://www.canada.ca/en/public-heal...6JNzCiwIz-fxKY

Now arrival testing is mandatory again ... except this time you have to quarantine for 24-72 hours until you receive negative results, kind of like UK I guess.

It says arrivals from US by air or land will not have this restriction

Wonder if this 24-72 hour quarantine can be avoided by

1) Having a connecting flight in the US (unlikely)

or

2) Flying into a US airport and driving across to Canada

I see the latter being an option, since there is a lack of arrival testing infrastructure at the land border AFAIK. The only way I see this not working is if they put something in there about being anywhere other then the US during the last 14 days.

Re: Arrival testing mandated again
 

I'm fairly sure that option 2 is not an option, as unless I'm reading things incorrectly, you still need a test to enter canada: https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/tr...try-vaccinated

If you're entering the US by land and will be there for 72 hours or less (think you also need to be PR or a Canadian Citizen) then you do not currently need a negative test on your return to Canada. Not sure if they have given information as to wether that exemption is going to be reversed, which would be seriously annoying as it only started on 30th November

Re: Arrival testing mandated again
 

As this mandate is caused by the new variant, Omicron, then I doubt that you can wriggle out of taking it.

We know so little about this variant, except that it seems to be more efficiently transmitted, why would you want to avoid passing on a potentially more harmful variant to family and friends, let alone strangers?

Re: Arrival testing mandated again
 

I wish "they" would publish requirements in a single place on a nice, clear, easy to understand table!

Re: Arrival testing mandated again
 

Who is they?

Re: Arrival testing mandated again
 

Who indeed.

Re: Arrival testing mandated again
 

Yeah, I could get a rapid PCR test on arrival at DTW or BUF from a third country and use that to re-enter Canada by land. I'm thinking this will avoid the post-arrival test in Canada and subsequent 1-3 day quarantine period. I don't see how this wouldn't work unless the US changes their entry requirements for fully vaccinated Canadian citizens. And the site doesn't say anything about excluding people who've travelled to other countries other then just USA.

Re: Arrival testing mandated again
 

1. Its already here. I'm sure before SA declared they found a variant, dozens of people have passed through Canada carrying it. It will be exactly like delta, we will enact useless border measures and the variant will get in and become dominant anyway.
2. Its no more deadly then the existing variants, so not sure why it needs special treatment
3. I'm vaccinated

I have no issue taking an arrival test, but I don't believe people should have to quarantine until results are received

1. YOu already have a negative pre-departure test from the country you are coming from
2. The government could use rapid PCR kits at the airport enabling you to get results before you even leave the airport. The most efficient would be to have the testing right after you get off the plane before going through immigration, then by the time you go through immigration and get your luggage you have the results. But no, they will continue to use a slower, lab-based PCR that makes you wait in quarantine for 2-3 days for no reason. Then god forbid the results come back inconclusive and you have to go get tested again, in a worst case scenario you could be in quarantine for 6-7 days. Its just not very efficient, and is a lot more inconvenient then the previous measures.

Re: Arrival testing mandated again
 

Of course it is here .............. cases in BC, Alberta, Ontario & Quebec, so far.

The mandate for quarantine is an attempt to prevent any more infected people entering, and thus reducing the risk of Canadians catching it.

Being fully vaccinated seems to be no protection to this thing, at the moment. That is why the quarantine regulation has been brought in.

Why do you always want to avoid obeying mandates and rules??????????????

Re: Arrival testing mandated again
 

I believe the US are making it mandatory to have a PCR result within 24 hours to arrive now.

Re: Arrival testing mandated again
 

Yup:

https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1980318275813

Re: Arrival testing mandated again
 

Being fully vaccinated was never a protection against getting, and spreading, COVID. It was and is only protection against severe illness, hospitalisation, and death. This is the same with the omicron variant. So far, there are no reported cases with severe illness or death in vaccinated people from the Omicron variant. https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/2021...ations-doctors

Because I don't like being told what to do. And the mandates were never effective at reducing the spread/introduction of covid. As I said, omicron is already here. Mandates are too little, too late, and just a big inconvenience. They are also going to be pretty ineffective if you can get around it by routing via the US, just like with hotel quarantine.

My OP question was about routing around this mandate via the US. If you don't have any input regarding that lets keep the covid debate to the covid thread.

I'll be following this as well. I have to pop over in Jan for my nexus interview. In any case a $40 antigen test would get you across the border to the US side, as long as the Canadians still don't require a test at the land border.

Re: Arrival testing mandated again
 

Personally I'd say they should let vaccinated Canadians to come and go as they please. Sadly politics goes the other way. Especially provincial politics seems to persuade Ottawa constantly to enact tougher border rules.

Could I now book a flight from Europe, enter a Canadian airport and have a connecting flight on the same day? Or is this clearly off now?

Is the test upon arrival in Canada for free? or another charge? and if so how high?

The problem is that politicians and lawmakers have discovered that the latest craze is testing vaccinated travellers and also quarantine is back again. In some places in Europe they are starting to require tests even for vaccinated customers visiting a restaurant.

The only thing that's for certain is that this mandatory hotel quarantine is not there anymore, but who knows. Politicians can be very resourceful.

Re: Arrival testing mandated again
 

+1


That's the problem. No one knows.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/ott...gZa0xi_gFnKl_A

Re: Arrival testing mandated again
 

They are saying it’ll be 24 hours but I thought it was still an antigen test? Haven’t seen reference to it changing to PCR but please correct me If this is incorrect.