Random testing and quarantine plan Canada

[capslock 200]

Canada has removed the mandatory pre-boarding or pre-entry test for fully vaccinated travellers April 1st, but one still needs to enter a quarantine plan and is subject to randomly selected testing at the airport or land border. Since this is fairly new, I haven't been able to find much information on what this really means.

 

If I intend to fly into Canada, get a rental car and cross the US border right away, can I us a US hotel as quarantine plan?

 

If I am randomly selected for testing, do I have to wait and isolate until test results are in? Will this be an antigen test, an on-site immediate PCR or a full lab test that takes a few days?

 

On returning to Canada by land, intending to fly out, again, can I name a hotel that accepts quarantine guests without actually booking it? Do I have to wait for the test result, potentially missing my flight.

 

Confused.

[easytodraw 223]

Have you looked at :  https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid? All the info is there.

You  will need to complete   ArriveCAN. 

It streamlined the document shuffle both going there and returning.

 

Good luck.

[silty1 3,392]

On the ground I can tell you that things have opened up vastly in Canada over the past two months or so.  You used to have to get a PCR test before flying, then get one "selected randomly" upon arrival - which basically meant that if you were coming from Europe, you got tested, if from the USA, then not. A couple of months ago I was PCR tested on arrival and waited less than 24 hours for the result which came via email.
Now you don't have to get a test before you go, but you could be selected at random at the airport, but they are not testing very many people as they have found that the program was too expensive for the number of people they were actually catching with covid.  If you do happen to get selected then you take your test, leave the airport, and go to wherever you're heading.  You do have to isolate until test results are in.  

 

The ArriveCAN app you still have to fill out, but it's pretty straightforward.  

 

For more specific questions, ie your plan to drive immediately upon entry to the USA, you could go on the FlyerTalk forum Canada sub and ask there if the subject has not already been covered.

 

[capslock 200]

20 hours ago, easytodraw said:

Have you looked at :  https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid? All the info is there.

You  will need to complete   ArriveCAN. 

It streamlined the document shuffle both going there and returning.

 

Good luck.

Yes, I looked at that before posting but was none the wiser for my specific questions.

 

18 hours ago, silty1 said:

On the ground I can tell you that things have opened up vastly in Canada over the past two months or so.  You used to have to get a PCR test before flying, then get one "selected randomly" upon arrival - which basically meant that if you were coming from Europe, you got tested, if from the USA, then not. A couple of months ago I was PCR tested on arrival and waited less than 24 hours for the result which came via email.
Now you don't have to get a test before you go, but you could be selected at random at the airport, but they are not testing very many people as they have found that the program was too expensive for the number of people they were actually catching with covid.  If you do happen to get selected then you take your test, leave the airport, and go to wherever you're heading.  You do have to isolate until test results are in.  

 

The ArriveCAN app you still have to fill out, but it's pretty straightforward.  

 

For more specific questions, ie your plan to drive immediately upon entry to the USA, you could go on the FlyerTalk forum Canada sub and ask there if the subject has not already been covered.

 

Thanks, that was very helpful. I'll head to flyer talk. 

 

I'm beginning to think this means:

- Heading to the US right after arrival should be fine.

- If I reenter Canada by land to leave on a flight the same day and get selected, I should still be able to fly?

- If I spend another night and a positive test comes in before I leave, I will be stuck for 14 days (as opposed to 5 if leaving from the US, not that they have any mandatory testing other than for flights to the US)

 

Bonus question: it seems when you enter Canada as a fully vaccinated traveller and are not tested, you are supposed to mask when in public for 14 days. Is this being followed where there are no mask mandates? Do sufficient people still mask voluntarily? Or does one have to expect funny looks or even aggression as in some parts of the US?

 

Thanks

[capslock 200]

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/34131182-post484.html

 

This guy says there was still plenty of yellow slips being handed out at the land border on April 3rd. Does a yellow slip mean on-site test or does it mean you have to pull up to collect a mail-in test kit?

[silty1 3,392]

3 hours ago, capslock said:

This guy says there was still plenty of yellow slips being handed out at the land border on April 3rd. Does a yellow slip mean on-site test or does it mean you have to pull up to collect a mail-in test kit?

 

I have no clue about land border crossing procedures.

[silty1 3,392]

5 hours ago, capslock said:

Bonus question: it seems when you enter Canada as a fully vaccinated traveller and are not tested, you are supposed to mask when in public for 14 days. Is this being followed where there are no mask mandates? Do sufficient people still mask voluntarily? Or does one have to expect funny looks or even aggression as in some parts of the US?

 

I did not mask in public after arrival, though did mask up inside a public building.  Masking is dependent on which province, sometimes which area in which province.  In BC where I am there has been no mask mandate since March 11, nor do you have to show your vaccination passport when going to restaurants, etc.  Hah! I caught omicron within a week of the mandates being dropped - but being boosted got through it okay and since it's been great living normally again. You often see masked people driving alone in cars, walking alone on the beach, or out on the streets, wherever, but it's their choice.  Nobody hassles you, this isn't the Excited States.

[silty1 3,392]

5 hours ago, capslock said:

- If I reenter Canada by land to leave on a flight the same day and get selected, I should still be able to fly?

- If I spend another night and a positive test comes in before I leave, I will be stuck for 14 days (as opposed to 5 if leaving from the US, not that they have any mandatory testing other than for flights to the US)

 

I can't answer any of these, they're way too specific.