Province issued covid PCR test

[Sharon1927]

Can anyone confirm that I can use a province issed covid test for travel to the US or I have to pay for one done by a private lab.

[K_e_short]

27 minutes ago, Sharon1927 said:

Can anyone confirm that I can use a province issed covid test for travel to the US or I have to pay for one done by a private lab.

 

I am assuming you can, however your province may not allow you to access free testing for travel.

[MStarzky]

the ontario portal specifically states its the free one is not meant for international travel. However you could probably use it anyway, also you can go to shoppers drugmart and get a rapid antigen test for 40$. The americans allow that test as well.

[Sharon1927]

24 minutes ago, MStarzky said:

the ontario portal specifically states its the free one is not meant for international travel. However you could probably use it anyway, also you can go to shoppers drugmart and get a rapid antigen test for 40$. The americans allow that test as well.

Thank you.

[crickette]

Check what details your cruise/travel partner requires.  Some say on letterhead with name of lab, date and time, etc.  The provincial test results often do not contain all those details, so thus do not qualify.

[ilovetotravel1977]

In Nova Scotia, we are encouraged to get tested at least weekly, for free, with or without symptoms.  Never any mention of not using the tests for travel or not.

 

For the post above wondering what a provincial test result might look like, I still have the results from one of my old tests and this is the text copied and pasted from the email:

 

NAME (removed)

 

Tested using a Validated Upper Respiratory Tract Specimen Test for SARS-CoV2 (COVID-19) on Wednesday, December 9, 2020 1:00PM Atlantic Standard Time at a Nova Scotia Health Laboratory using a validated COVID-19 PCR assay. The testing laboratory is accredited under Accreditation Canada.

Date of Birth: (removed)
Provincial Health Card Number: (removed)
The result for your COVID-19 test is: NEGATIVE

A negative test result means you did not have COVID-19 when you were tested.

[kdr69]

Just make sure its within the time period for your flight which is within 3 days of your flight if your going to US

[Karen Lynn]

You cannot use the provincial one - at least in Ontario..

Has to be independent test with Lifelabs or Shoppers 

 

[OVgirl]

1 hour ago, Karen Lynn said:

You cannot use the provincial one - at least in Ontario..

Has to be independent test with Lifelabs or Shoppers 

 

And at a cost of about $200. 

Unfortunately there aren't a lot of locations to have this done. In Ottawa there are 2 Shoppers Drug Marts doing travel testing. That means a 1 hour drive each way 3 days before we sail.

[Karen Lynn]

I know , it’s not right … but it is all we’ve got.

[Fouremco]

4 hours ago, OVgirl said:

And at a cost of about $200. 

Unfortunately there aren't a lot of locations to have this done. In Ottawa there are 2 Shoppers Drug Marts doing travel testing. That means a 1 hour drive each way 3 days before we sail.

Hi OVgirl, it has been a long time since we crossed paths. Are you still diving?

 

For flights to the US, a negative antigen is all that is required, and you can get them at Shoppers for $40. In our case, living in Orleans, we have two nearby Shoppers doing testing, one just a couple of minutes away. I wonder if there are more Shoppers offering antigen than PCR.

[K_e_short]

8 hours ago, OVgirl said:

And at a cost of about $200. 

Unfortunately there aren't a lot of locations to have this done. In Ottawa there are 2 Shoppers Drug Marts doing travel testing. That means a 1 hour drive each way 3 days before we sail.

 

Are you sure? Don't want to be nosy and ask where in Ottawa you are but when I go to the Shoppers Drug Mart website I see over 20 stores that do both tests.

 

[OVgirl]

7 minutes ago, K_e_short said:

 

Are you sure? Don't want to be nosy and ask where in Ottawa you are but when I go to the Shoppers Drug Mart website I see over 20 stores that do both tests.

 

I was looking for "travel testing". Thrilled to hear that I looked for the wrong tests.

I will check around for SDM that do Testing for travel.

Thanks for the heads up.

[K_e_short]

2 minutes ago, OVgirl said:

I was looking for "travel testing". Thrilled to hear that I looked for the wrong tests.

I will check around for SDM that do Testing for travel.

Thanks for the heads up.

 

It gives you all the options for testing.

 

https://covid-19.shoppersdrugmart.ca/en/testing

 

This is the $40 antigen test search link:

 

https://covid-19.shoppersdrugmart.ca/en/testing/antigen-screening

 

This is the $199 PCR test needed if you are unvaccinated (or don't have the right vaccine :() and want to cruise.

 

https://covid-19.shoppersdrugmart.ca/en/testing/international-outbound/on

[mexico8]

If I understand correctly we need to have the antigen test to enter the US and show that we have had both vaccinations from an approved vaccine.   

 

Is it the same test  (antigen) we need to re-enter Canada from the US when we come back from a cruise or do we need to do the more costly PCR test?  TIA.

[gnome12]

7 minutes ago, mexico8 said:

If I understand correctly we need to have the antigen test to enter the US and show that we have had both vaccinations from an approved vaccine.   

 

Is it the same test  (antigen) we need to re-enter Canada from the US when we come back from a cruise or do we need to do the more costly PCR test?  TIA.

Currently, you need the more costly test; an antigen test won't do.

[Fouremco]

5 minutes ago, mexico8 said:

If I understand correctly we need to have the antigen test to enter the US and show that we have had both vaccinations from an approved vaccine.   

 

Is it the same test  (antigen) we need to re-enter Canada from the US when we come back from a cruise or do we need to do the more costly PCR test?  TIA.

You require an antigen test to enter the US, but a PCR test to re-enter Canada. Some cruise lines will provide the PCR test free for passengers requiring one to fly home. There is no current requirement for proof of vaccination when flying to the US, but it will be required for re-entry to Canada.

[mexico8]

3 hours ago, Fouremco said:

You require an antigen test to enter the US, but a PCR test to re-enter Canada. Some cruise lines will provide the PCR test free for passengers requiring one to fly home. There is no current requirement for proof of vaccination when flying to the US, but it will be required for re-entry to Canada.

Thanks for the info from you and gnome 12 - If I read it correctly somewhere else it costs about $200 for the PCR test in Florida (we fly home from there).   Is that correct?

[Russ Lomas]

4 minutes ago, mexico8 said:

Thanks for the info from you and gnome 12 - If I read it correctly somewhere else it costs about $200 for the PCR test in Florida (we fly home from there).   Is that correct?

that is correct.  As said by somebody else above though, cruise lines are testing those international passengers who require these tests to fly home to their home country free of charge.  We sail with RCCL this weekend and I got an email confirming they will conduct either a rapid or PCR test for free as long as I am double vaccinated, near the end of my cruise so I can use that for my flight back to Canada.

[Evilmuffin]

Is the test required for entry to the USA, the same as the cruiselines?    For example, if I got an antigen test here in Ottawa on a Thursday/Friday, board a flight on Saturday, and sail on Sunday, will that one test be good enough?    Although hopefully by the time my cruise departs, (Dec) I’m sure lots will have changed.

[K_e_short]

4 hours ago, Evilmuffin said:

Is the test required for entry to the USA, the same as the cruiselines?    For example, if I got an antigen test here in Ottawa on a Thursday/Friday, board a flight on Saturday, and sail on Sunday, will that one test be good enough?    Although hopefully by the time my cruise departs, (Dec) I’m sure lots will have changed.

 

It depends on what your cruiseline requires. Most require an antigen test (same as entry into the U.S.) but if you are unvaccinated you require a P.C.R.

But yes you can use the same test if it's an antigen test you require.

[mexico8]

I read that Puerto Vallarta, Mexico is requesting all cruise ship passengers that want  to visit PV need to have a valid PCR test.  Does anyone know if any of the Caribbean ports are asking for that as well.   It sure could get expensive and bothersome if we need to do those tests frequently during a cruise.

[mexico8]

9 hours ago, Russ Lomas said:

that is correct.  As said by somebody else above though, cruise lines are testing those international passengers who require these tests to fly home to their home country free of charge.  We sail with RCCL this weekend and I got an email confirming they will conduct either a rapid or PCR test for free as long as I am double vaccinated, near the end of my cruise so I can use that for my flight back to Canada.

I hope Holland America will do the same thing for us on the 21 day cruise we take with them in November.

[3Shelaghs]

11 minutes ago, mexico8 said:

 Does anyone know if any of the Caribbean ports are asking for that as well.   It sure could get expensive and bothersome if we need to do those tests frequently during a cruise.

Quick look shows: St Lucia, Barbados, St Kitts, Antigua, Barbuda, need PCR.... Jamaica, Sint Maarten, Bahamas will take antigen or PCR. All this of course can change on a loonie 🤨Martinique has just gone into lock down and asked visitors to leave.

[mexico8]

12 minutes ago, 3Shelaghs said:

Quick look shows: St Lucia, Barbados, St Kitts, Antigua, Barbuda, need PCR.... Jamaica, Sint Maarten, Bahamas will take antigen or PCR. All this of course can change on a loonie 🤨Martinique has just gone into lock down and asked visitors to leave.

So you think that means we will have to be tested each time we want to get off the ship at all these ports?   Will we have to pay for each test or will HAL cover it?   Could get really expensive at about $200 per person each time for a PCR.   I read that Florida charge $179 for the PCR test at the airport.