Travel

Locked: Land border "random" mandatory testing experience

  • Last Updated:
  • Jul 4th, 2022 3:11 pm
Banned
Jun 23, 2022
40 posts
52 upvotes

Land border "random" mandatory testing experience

Has anyone experienced this when coming back into Canada via the land border? What was the process like, and did you experience any issues with scheduling, pickup, etc? (Has to be done via remote video, feds shut down the test centres near the borders months ago).

In particular for Ontario since June 1 (2022), as the service provider to conduct it in Ontario was switched to LifeLabs on that date (from Switch Health).

Looking at the most recent weekly testing numbers and entry volumes for mid June on the federal government website, appears the odds of being selected (based on that week's traffic, and assuming commercial truck drivers are exempt because it could significantly impact their delivery schedules) is 0.4%.
5 replies
Deal Expert
Feb 7, 2017
27765 posts
27803 upvotes
Eastern Ontario
dowmast wrote: Has anyone experienced this when coming back into Canada via the land border? What was the process like, and did you experience any issues with scheduling, pickup, etc? (Has to be done via remote video, feds shut down the test centres near the borders months ago).

In particular for Ontario since June 1 (2022), as the service provider to conduct it in Ontario was switched to LifeLabs on that date (from Switch Health).

Looking at the most recent weekly testing numbers and entry volumes for mid June on the federal government website, appears the odds of being selected (based on that week's traffic, and assuming commercial truck drivers are exempt because it could significantly impact their delivery schedules) is 0.4%.
Friends were recently selected for random testing via a land border
They were given a test kit & instructions
Test was watched / audited as they performed it via zoom
Pick up was as promised …
They just slapped on the label

Downside …
Lab was overwhelmed that week
So they actually didn’t get the results in the time frame as promised
By the time the results came back = NEGATIVE
They were beyond the infectious window
(They were good responsible citizens … they chose to stay home after their trip until they got their test results )

https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/ ... anada.html
Banned
Jun 23, 2022
40 posts
52 upvotes
PointsHubby wrote:
Lab was overwhelmed that week
So they actually didn’t get the results in the time frame as promised
By the time the results came back = NEGATIVE
They were beyond the infectious window
(They were good responsible citizens … they chose to stay home after their trip until they got their test results )
Ok, thanks.

It is no longer mandatory to isolate while awaiting the test results, and hasn't been for months.
At this point, this arrival testing is nonsense anyways, not only because it takes so long to come back as you said, but because positivity rate from these tests are low - and there wouldn't even be any thought of isolating if you are one of the 99.6% of land border crossers who weren't "randomly" selected.
Them isolating is not being "responsible" - that's virtue signaling.
If it was still that important, the feds wouldn't have suspended (and further extended the "suspension" of random testing (which was supposed to be reinstated on July 1) for fully vaccinated people arriving at the airports (with no timeline as to when they will reinstate it, if ever)).

It is all politics now for the Libs.

Australia announced yesterday that as of this Wednesday, they are immediately dropping ALL remaining Covid travel related testing, proof of vaccination, contact form (their version of ArriveCan app) and quarantine requirements, joining just about everywhere else in the western world, and making Canada virtually the only western country remaining still keeping this nonsense at the borders.

If Australia - who had some of the strictest Covid controls in the world during the early days, and who also just elected a left-wing federal government - has decided these measures are no longer required along with the rest of the western world, just shows how out of place and stubborn that Canada's federal government is in admitting they are wrong.
Deal Expert
Feb 7, 2017
27765 posts
27803 upvotes
Eastern Ontario
dowmast wrote: Ok, thanks.

It is no longer mandatory to isolate while awaiting the test results, and hasn't been for months.
At this point, this arrival testing is nonsense anyways, not only because it takes so long to come back as you said, but because positivity rate from these tests are low - and there wouldn't even be any thought of isolating if you are one of the 99.6% of land border crossers who weren't "randomly" selected.
Them isolating is not being "responsible" - that's virtue signaling.
If it was still that important, the feds wouldn't have suspended (and further extended the "suspension" of random testing (which was supposed to be reinstated on July 1) for fully vaccinated people arriving at the airports (with no timeline as to when they will reinstate it, if ever)).

It is all politics now for the Libs.

Australia announced yesterday that as of this Wednesday, they are immediately dropping ALL remaining Covid travel related testing, proof of vaccination, contact form (their version of ArriveCan app) and quarantine requirements, joining just about everywhere else in the western world, and making Canada virtually the only western country remaining still keeping this nonsense at the borders.

If Australia - who had some of the strictest Covid controls in the world during the early days, and who also just elected a left-wing federal government - has decided these measures are no longer required along with the rest of the western world, just shows how out of place and stubborn that Canada's federal government is in admitting they are wrong.
Okay donkey then …
So you weren’t seeking info
You were seeking an opportunity to make a political statement
Thumbs Down Sign
Banned
Jun 23, 2022
40 posts
52 upvotes
PointsHubby wrote: Okay donkey then …
So you weren’t seeking info
You were seeking an opportunity to make a political statement
Thumbs Down Sign
Oh please - I'm going on a road trip next week, so was wondering what the situation was for my drive back.

You are the one who brought up them "being good responsible citizens" when there's absolutely no law or requirement to isolate while waiting, and hardly anyone is doing it anymore (everyone at my workplace who has been travelling for either business or personal travel over the last few months have all immediately returned to work the next day after getting back to Canada). That was pure virtue signaling.
Deal Expert
Feb 7, 2017
27765 posts
27803 upvotes
Eastern Ontario
dowmast wrote: Oh please - I'm going on a road trip next week, so was wondering what the situation was for my drive back.

You are the one who brought up them "being good responsible citizens" when there's absolutely no law or requirement to isolate while waiting, and hardly anyone is doing it anymore (everyone at my workplace who has been travelling for either business or personal travel over the last few months have all immediately returned to work the next day after getting back to Canada). That was pure virtue signaling.
Love the virtue signalling comments
I was merely stating the facts
They are retired, and over 60 ..
So more at risk
So ya … they chose to do what was RESPONSIBLE for them and their circle

You can do as you please

But … it was YOU who dragged in politics
And mentioned the Liberals in particular, Govt Policies, etc
:rolleyes:

As I said …
It looks like the entire point of your post was to stand on a soap box

ADD … Also, there are several other threads on this topic
If it wasn’t a case of having an Agenda / being heard
You’d have posted in one of them

Top

Thread Information

There is currently 1 user viewing this thread. (0 members and 1 guest)