Emed proctored Covid test … trying to understand emed’s FAQ about time zones

[Ashland]

8 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

You guys are thinking too hard.

 

You take the test two calendar days before your cruise based on the time zone your cruise departs from. That's it.

If your cruise departs say April 3, then once it hits April 1 in the timezone your cruise leaves from, then you can take your test.

If you take the test at 8pm ET on April 1, the test result will show 12am April 2 because that's GMT. And even if you get a check-in agent who isn't up on time differences, 12am April 2 is still within range.

 

 

Sorry you think we're over thinking this....But it is a real concern for us and I have no trouble saying I'm still confused about the timing.

So make it simple for me...I live in SoCal the earliest I can test is March 18th for my March 20th cruise out of San Juan....with daylight saving time being taken into consideration and the fact that we have to leave at 5:30am on the 18th and will be flying all day...what time can we take our tests before we leave home? I really will appreciate your help...thank you so much.

[beachluver9]

18 hours ago, beachluver9 said:

Thanks for your response!  I went to the FAQs and it states only certain lots of tests have an extension to the date shown on the box, but there is no list (searched) showing the specific lots that are extended.  I have emailed them asking for the detailed list and hoping that they will respond in the next day or so.  The last batch that I ordered came from several different lots.  I tried calling emed to ask specifically about the tests that I have in hand, but the language barrier between myself and the agent was not workable.  Hopefully email is the ticket!

 

This is the response that I received...

 

Thank you for contacting eMed. 
 
We understand you may have some concerns about the expiration date on your BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card  HOME TEST kits.  
 
Abbott the manufacturer of the BinaxNOW™ COVID-19 Ag At-Home Test Kit have new manufactured test kits. Once you order now, the test kits you will received has expiration date of October and November 2022 .
 
The BinaxNow COVID-19 test kits were originally made in a bulk in late 2020 thru early 2021 and was approved for testing by the FDA under the EUA (Emergency Use Authorization).  The test kits have an original expiration date of September 2021, October 2021, and November 2021.  Effective immediately, these expiration dates have since been extended for an additional 6 months by the FDA making the new expiration dates **March 2022, April 2022, and May 2022. 
 
**The new expiration date will be determined by the date you have on each test kit. Please take a look at second line of the white label to find the original expiration date. Once you locate the original expiration date, you can add an additional 6 months to that date. 
 
For example, if if your current expiration date is September 6, 2021, your new expiration date is now March 6, 2022.
 
Please note, if your purchase was made on or after December 1, 2021, you should have received test kits with an expiration date in October 2022 or November 2022.  These particular kits are not under the extension at this time since they were just recently manufactured.
 
When you are ready to test, please visit www.emed.com and click on "start testing".  Once your test kit expiration date falls within the afore mentioned dates, you will be able to test with no issues.
 
For more information regarding the extension date extension, you may visit www.fda.gov or click on the actual link to the FDA extension letter:  https://www.fda.gov/media/155326/download
 
Thank you for choosing eMed.
 
Best,
 
 
Rosallee Viloria
eMed Customer Support Team
 

[D4]

13 hours ago, Ashland said:

Sorry you think we're over thinking this....But it is a real concern for us and I have no trouble saying I'm still confused about the timing.

So make it simple for me...I live in SoCal the earliest I can test is March 18th for my March 20th cruise out of San Juan....with daylight saving time being taken into consideration and the fact that we have to leave at 5:30am on the 18th and will be flying all day...what time can we take our tests before we leave home? I really will appreciate your help...thank you so much.

You and I are in the same position.  Some people may think we’re overthinking this, but I don’t believe they understand the complexity of our flight arrangements (flying out super early 2 days before the cruise.) 

 

i started another post trying to get someone who is doing the test in the next few days to tell us the information we both want to know.

 

 

Edited March 4, 2022 by D4

[njkruzer]

Just so you know San Juan is on Atlantic standard time all year. It doesn't change to dst.

[smokeybandit]

Find your cruise port. Find the local time. Don't take your test prior to midnight in that timezone 2 days prior to your cruise.

 

That's all you have to do.

[Ashland]

3 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

Find your cruise port. Find the local time. Don't take your test prior to midnight in that timezone 2 days prior to your cruise.

 

That's all you have to do.

So I can take it after 9:00pm on the 17th and it will show it was taken on the 18th?

[Scottee25]

2 hours ago, Ashland said:

So I can take it after 9:00pm on the 17th and it will show it was taken on the 18th?

 

Theoretically, yes. Once DST takes effect, you will be three hours behind Puerto Rico so 9PM your local time in California will be midnight in Puerto Rico. However, based on what people are saying here, if you took your test at 9:01PM PDT on the 17th, the test would show as taken at 4:00AM UTC on the 18th. If you want further clarification or confirmation, I would reach out directly to eMed.

[D4]

48 minutes ago, Scottee25 said:

… If you want further clarification or confirmation, I would reach out directly to eMed.

I called eMed and said I didn’t fully understand the details in their FAQ about time zones.  The person said they understood my question and they’d email me details that would fully explain everything.  They emailed me the exact same text that was in the FAQ that I didn’t understand.  😰

[Ashland]

2 hours ago, Scottee25 said:

 

Theoretically, yes. Once DST takes effect, you will be three hours behind Puerto Rico so 9PM your local time in California will be midnight in Puerto Rico. However, based on what people are saying here, if you took your test at 9:01PM PDT on the 17th, the test would show as taken at 4:00AM UTC on the 18th. If you want further clarification or confirmation, I would reach out directly to eMed.

Thank you so very much....I appreciate you taking the time to give me some exact information as it applies to me. This has been so confusing...but now I think I get it.

 

eMed has been less than helpful with their standard reply.

[Ashland]

1 hour ago, D4 said:

I called eMed and said I didn’t fully understand the details in their FAQ about time zones.  The person said they understood my question and they’d email me details that would fully explain everything.  They emailed me the exact same text that was in the FAQ that I didn’t understand.  😰

I tried this also.....

[cruizzing]

On 3/3/2022 at 1:23 PM, D4 said:

This is how I’m interpreting it.  I’m in the central time zone.

 

This site can convert multiple time zones and factors in the Time Change. You can play around with dates/times:  https://savvytime.com/converter/utc-to-ast-cdt-pdt/mar-13-2022/12-30am. 

 

The eMed FAQs may be contributing to the confusion? Says we are currently in Daylight Savings Time.  But sounds like you will be when you cruise. Good luck - hope all goes fine. 

[Scottee25]

10 hours ago, D4 said:

I called eMed and said I didn’t fully understand the details in their FAQ about time zones.  The person said they understood my question and they’d email me details that would fully explain everything.  They emailed me the exact same text that was in the FAQ that I didn’t understand.  😰

While I can completely understand your confusion on the matter, you may want to escalate the matter with eMed if the answers you are receiving from them don't resolve your questions. I know you have asked for a sample screenshot of the results to see what the date/time says. There is always someone up the chain you talk to. It would be great if they showed a sample screenshot in the FAQ or if someone here had screenshot from when they took the test to share with you. Unfortunately that doesn't seem to have happened. If you really want to be safe, take the test at 12:01AM local time on the date you need to appear on the test. That's your safest bet if you are really concerned. I get that you have an early morning flight but you could always take a nap, get up and take the test, then another nap before you need to get up for your flight. If you can sleep on a plane, catch up on some more sleep then. I do agree with some of the others that have said you are really overthinking this. I get the premise of why you would prefer to take it before midnight but if you would prefer to be safe than sorry, taking it after midnight your local time is the way to go.

[Scottee25]

8 hours ago, Ashland said:

Thank you so very much....I appreciate you taking the time to give me some exact information as it applies to me. This has been so confusing...but now I think I get it.

 

eMed has been less than helpful with their standard reply.

 

Mind you I said theoretically. I get that eMed has not been exactly helpful but I would call and escalate your issue that you want a definitive answer in your exact situation. If you take the test at 9:10PM PDT, what date will appear on the test results? Will it be the date based on UTC or PDT? Keep running it up the chain until you get a definitive answer. Otherwise, take the test at 12:01AM PDT on the date you need to appear on the test just to be safe.

[Starry Eyes]

14 hours ago, Ashland said:

So I can take it after 9:00pm on the 17th and it will show it was taken on the 18th?

By the way, I seem to recall being asked my testing location when I logged in to take my  recent test.  Perhaps that is why the results in my Navica app are stated in my local time zone.  It makes me wonder what might happen if one, umm, misunderstood that location question and entered the pier city or some east coast city…would the app results have that time zone?  I think it is nice to have lots of solid electronic backup for one’s paperwork.

[Ashland]

3 hours ago, Starry Eyes said:

By the way, I seem to recall being asked my testing location when I logged in to take my  recent test.  Perhaps that is why the results in my Navica app are stated in my local time zone.  It makes me wonder what might happen if one, umm, misunderstood that location question and entered the pier city or some east coast city…would the app results have that time zone?  I think it is nice to have lots of solid electronic backup for one’s paperwork.

I didn't know about the question about location....This now makes a difference...how would they really know if I gave a different location ??

 

[Starry Eyes]

9 minutes ago, Ashland said:

I didn't know about the question about location....This now makes a difference...how would they really know if I gave a different location ??

 

I did not recall being asked my location when I took a test in December, but I believe the question was asked in February along with the “do you have an unopened test kit…have you washed your hands” etc.

Do you think it would generate error code if you hit Hollywood, FL instead of the better known Hollywood, lol?

[Ashland]

1 hour ago, Starry Eyes said:

I did not recall being asked my location when I took a test in December, but I believe the question was asked in February along with the “do you have an unopened test kit…have you washed your hands” etc.

Do you think it would generate error code if you hit Hollywood, FL instead of the better known Hollywood, lol?

A legit question ???

[Mooreland1999]

When you take the test, you get a pdf copy of the test from Emed and a digital "result" from Navica.  The paper copy has the time/date in UTC.  The digital copy has the time in whatever time zone your phone is set to.  Phones are smart and can do the math automatically.  If you have the paper copy and the ticket agent is not smart, you can do the math for them if you need to.  For those of you who taken the tests, just change the timezone on your phone manually and you will see the date/time change on the digital result.

Edited March 5, 2022 by Mooreland1999

[Ashland]

3 minutes ago, Mooreland1999 said:

I'm still not sure why this confusing.  When you take the test, you get a pdf copy of the test from Emed and a digital "result" from Navica.  The paper copy has the time/date in UTC.  The digital copy has the time in whatever time zone your phone is set to.  Phones are smart and can do the math automatically.  If you have the paper copy and the ticket agent is not smart, you can do the math for them if you need to.  For those of you who taken the tests, just change the timezone on your phone manually and you will see the date/time change on the digital result.

So now we'll need to change the time zone on our phone?

And now just another thing to be confused about...lucky for those of you that aren't and for those of us trying to manage we appreciate your help.

 

[Mooreland1999]

Just now, Ashland said:

So now we'll need to change the time zone on our phone?

And now just another thing to be confused about...lucky for those of you that aren't and for those of us trying to manage we appreciate your help.

 

No, when you show  up in San Juan your phone will adjust automatically and the time on the digital result will also.  The bottom line is, take the test within two days of  departure in the timezone of departure.  If you do that, you are fine wether you have the app with correct timezone shown, or you need to explain it to a ticket agent,

[Mooreland1999]

I just took a look at the app again, in addition to the pdf copy you get from emed, you can also print a copy from the app and that will have whatever timzone your phone is set to.  So, if timezones are confusing you, sometime before departure, set your phone to San Juan time.  When your phone says it is the 18th in San Juan, take the test and print the result from the app.  You will then have your results with correct day and time that you want.

[Ashland]

1 hour ago, Mooreland1999 said:

I just took a look at the app again, in addition to the pdf copy you get from emed, you can also print a copy from the app and that will have whatever timzone your phone is set to.  So, if timezones are confusing you, sometime before departure, set your phone to San Juan time.  When your phone says it is the 18th in San Juan, take the test and print the result from the app.  You will then have your results with correct day and time that you want.

Thanks...We think it will be easier to use our laptop to take the test. We understand now to change the time zone on it to reflect what time it will be in San Juan. 

[travelhound]

On 3/2/2022 at 7:50 PM, D4 said:

I haven’t seen this question before.  I’m trying to figure out the time zone that emed uses.

 

I attached 2 screenshots of the emed FAQ about this, but I don’t really understand their FAQ.

 

We have an early flight 2 days before the cruise.  We need to be at the airport at 5:30am.  We want our results before the flight because we don’t want to fly if we can’t cruise.
 

We are in the central time zone. I had planned to stay up late and test after midnight (before our flight), but then I thought of a possible time zone issue with emed.

 

I’d appreciate hearing the date/time on your emed result compared to the date/time it was when you took the test in your time zone.

 

Thanks

Two days is just not enough time to take these tests, considering that most people will probably be traveling to the port one of those days.  

[Ashland]

1 minute ago, travelhound said:

Two days is just not enough time to take these tests, considering that most people will probably be traveling to the port one of those days.  

Agree...it would be easier if it were 3 days...at least for us. Hoping this will change soon for our cruise after this one which is end of April....but it's doubtful.

[travelhound]

Just now, Ashland said:

Agree...it would be easier if it were 3 days...at least for us. Hoping this will change soon for our cruise after this one which is end of April....but it's doubtful.

Yup, I am hoping that all of the testing will be eliminated by the time of our Alaska cruise in July.