Canadians travelling for EV Earthling tour/PCR tests

RVMMFC

they mail you a test you do online over video with them and get the results within 45 min..Ive ordered one and will do it as soon as i land sunday evening

RatherStarved

Border rules update expected at 1pm ET today.

PJNB

RatherStarved said:

Border rules update expected at 1pm ET today.

What are we expecting and when will it be implemented? 

RatherStarved

I've heard end of Feb and antigen will become acceptable.  However it's unconfirmed.  I don't have inside info.  Just read that somewhere.  

juliefer

Waiting for these federal and provincial restriction updates is feeling similar to waiting for concert announcements. I'm eager to find out but also trying to keep my hopes in check because it's unlikely to make any difference in time for these EV shows. (and of course the announcement time RatherStarved noted is exactly when I'm in a work meeting)

RVMMFC

only after the tour - end of month

RatherStarved

A bit of a lunch bag letdown.  Was hoping they'd reinstate the 72 hour no test exception.  

juliefer

RatherStarved said:

A bit of a lunch bag letdown.  Was hoping they'd reinstate the 72 hour no test exception.  

Me too!

Zod

I did find this place that seems to do tests in both Bellingham and Marysville.  Seems to have lots of time available and get the PCR test back within 36 hours which is enough for our 48 hour trip.

https://www.arcpointlabs.com/marysville-arlington/request-an-appointment/

It looks almost impossible to get a booking for the NAAT test at a walgreens, and it doesn't sound like there PCR tests come back too often in under 48 hours.

mwplum

I ended up buying a LAMP test through Switch (partners with Air Canada). Cost was $149 CAD + tax + shipping. It's accepted by the Government, and you do the test live over videochat and then they send you the paperwork immediately. So plan is to cross border, pull over in Blaine, and go down!

mwplum

Only problem now is the tickets! Has anyone had problems accepting the "claim tickets" link? I only noticed it over the past weekend, and wasn't able to accept (even through I tried on different browsers, devices). I called TM on Monday, actually spoke with an agent (who assured me problem was fixed and wouldn't wait while I checked). It didn't work, so I emailed on Monday, they sent me a new link (same problem), so I've been trying to contact them since Monday, but they won't respond to email and their phone line now goes straight to VM. After spending $300+ on tickets and arranging chilcare, we are at our wits end. I slept maybe 3 hours last night. I would think this would be a simple fix (i.e. manually put in my TM account or arrange for me to pick up at box office) if I could only get ahold of a real person. Tried 10C this afternoon but it also went straight to voicemail.

Zod

mwplum said:

I ended up buying a LAMP test through Switch (partners with Air Canada). Cost was $149 CAD + tax + shipping. It's accepted by the Government, and you do the test live over videochat and then they send you the paperwork immediately. So plan is to cross border, pull over in Blaine, and go down!

how does that work? they mail you a test, and you take it yourself?  how do you get it back to them?

juliefer

I booked my NAAT test at Walgreens last night. It didn't work out exactly as planned, but it's not the worst.

In the last few weeks I thought I had determined that they release one new day of appointment slots each night some time after midnight and that means you need to book 4 days ahead as the new dates pop up. So last night I plan for 12:30 am, and just before midnight I decided to check, and I find they'd released more than a week's worth of appointments and most of the ones for this Monday are already gone. The earliest available in Bellingham was 2:45 pm, and by the time I got through the booking process I could only get 3:15pm for my husband. 
That felt like it would get us into Seattle later than we wanted, so I managed to snag a couple of mid morning appointments in Bellevue for Tuesday, which still gives us 24 hrs to get the results before we cross the border going home.

So now it's not right along the way anymore, but it's not too bad as we don't really have any daytime plans on Tuesday anyway. I'm relieved but annoyed because I thought I had the system all figured out and then it changed.

RVMMFC

Any suggestions on bars nearby for drinks preshow

Zod

We're also trying to get it as soon as we enter the USA, because were not exactly sure what happens if we pick up covid while were there and test positive.

We booked at that place I posted a few links ago for PCR tests that get a result in 36 hours.  We're going to be in the US for about 15 hours more than that, so hopefully that works.  Downside it was another $400 out of pocket.  So determined to go to these shows

juliefer

Zod said:

We're also trying to get it as soon as we enter the USA, because were not exactly sure what happens if we pick up covid while were there and test positive.

We booked at that place I posted a few links ago for PCR tests that get a result in 36 hours.  We're going to be in the US for about 15 hours more than that, so hopefully that works.  Downside it was another $400 out of pocket.  So determined to go to these shows

From what I understand, if you test positive you're stuck in the US for an extra 11 days quarantining. I have concerns about that too! We're getting COVID traveler's insurance that would cover us if we had to stay, but it doesn't help with the inconvenience at all, just the money part.

RatherStarved

juliefer said:

Zod said:

We're also trying to get it as soon as we enter the USA, because were not exactly sure what happens if we pick up covid while were there and test positive.

We booked at that place I posted a few links ago for PCR tests that get a result in 36 hours.  We're going to be in the US for about 15 hours more than that, so hopefully that works.  Downside it was another $400 out of pocket.  So determined to go to these shows

From what I understand, if you test positive you're stuck in the US for an extra 11 days quarantining. I have concerns about that too! We're getting COVID traveler's insurance that would cover us if we had to stay, but it doesn't help with the inconvenience at all, just the money part.

You are correct.  That is the risk.  Although you can pay $6k per person to come back with no test and probably have to quarantine as well.  If I were going I'd take an antigen test before leaving to reduce the odds of unknowingly already being positive before crossing into the US and take the PCR as soon as possible after crossing and without interacting with anyone first.  For most people who are triple vaxed the risk of a positive test is more regulatory than medical.  Enjoy the shows! 

juliefer

RatherStarved said:

juliefer said:

Zod said:

We're also trying to get it as soon as we enter the USA, because were not exactly sure what happens if we pick up covid while were there and test positive.

We booked at that place I posted a few links ago for PCR tests that get a result in 36 hours.  We're going to be in the US for about 15 hours more than that, so hopefully that works.  Downside it was another $400 out of pocket.  So determined to go to these shows

From what I understand, if you test positive you're stuck in the US for an extra 11 days quarantining. I have concerns about that too! We're getting COVID traveler's insurance that would cover us if we had to stay, but it doesn't help with the inconvenience at all, just the money part.

You are correct.  That is the risk.  Although you can pay $6k per person to come back with no test and probably have to quarantine as well.  If I were going I'd take an antigen test before leaving to reduce the odds of unknowingly already being positive before crossing into the US and take the PCR as soon as possible after crossing and without interacting with anyone first.  For most people who are triple vaxed the risk of a positive test is more regulatory than medical.  Enjoy the shows! 

Yes, that is basically my plan, except that I wasn't able to book at test in the US until the next morning. We are doing rapid tests before we leave home though, and if we do end up testing positive the next day, it still would have been from before we left, which is why this whole thing is pretty dumb for trips under 72 hours. I'm trying to do everything I can to prepare but I reaaallllyyy want to go to these shows so I am taking some risk, knowingly.

RatherStarved

juliefer said:

RatherStarved said:

juliefer said:

Zod said:

We're also trying to get it as soon as we enter the USA, because were not exactly sure what happens if we pick up covid while were there and test positive.

We booked at that place I posted a few links ago for PCR tests that get a result in 36 hours.  We're going to be in the US for about 15 hours more than that, so hopefully that works.  Downside it was another $400 out of pocket.  So determined to go to these shows

From what I understand, if you test positive you're stuck in the US for an extra 11 days quarantining. I have concerns about that too! We're getting COVID traveler's insurance that would cover us if we had to stay, but it doesn't help with the inconvenience at all, just the money part.

You are correct.  That is the risk.  Although you can pay $6k per person to come back with no test and probably have to quarantine as well.  If I were going I'd take an antigen test before leaving to reduce the odds of unknowingly already being positive before crossing into the US and take the PCR as soon as possible after crossing and without interacting with anyone first.  For most people who are triple vaxed the risk of a positive test is more regulatory than medical.  Enjoy the shows! 

Yes, that is basically my plan, except that I wasn't able to book at test in the US until the next morning. We are doing rapid tests before we leave home though, and if we do end up testing positive the next day, it still would have been from before we left, which is why this whole thing is pretty dumb for trips under 72 hours. I'm trying to do everything I can to prepare but I reaaallllyyy want to go to these shows so I am taking some risk, knowingly.

For sure it makes no sense to test on trips under 72 hours.  They will probably restore the short trip exception in a few weeks, but it doesn’t help now.  Anyway I think you’ll be just fine and will hear some incredible performances.  

mwplum

Zod said:

mwplum said:

I ended up buying a LAMP test through Switch (partners with Air Canada). Cost was $149 CAD + tax + shipping. It's accepted by the Government, and you do the test live over videochat and then they send you the paperwork immediately. So plan is to cross border, pull over in Blaine, and go down!

how does that work? they mail you a test, and you take it yourself?  how do you get it back to them?

Sorry, have been offline for past few days. I was really surprised as unlike so many, you don’t need to send anything in! You just take test with video chat on (in front of their nurse). The nurse reads your result after you hold it up for them to see, and then they email you the paperwork within an hour. Amazing really.

Thanks everyone for weighing in! I’m so excited!