tcook052

Yes, the quote in the CBC article I shared in post #73 directly contradicts your claim.

Often1

Which is why relying on what people, including government ministers, say can be the wrong thing. The text is posted on the Transport Canada website and seems clear. It is "scheduled departure" and suggests that returning Canadians should start to arrange their test now so as to avoid a "delay in their return." Maybe the written document is wrong, but I certainly would not want to be showing some check-in agent overseas a video on my mobile as a means of obtaining a boarding pass.

Documentation of a negative laboratory test result must be presented to the airline prior to boarding a flight to Canada. The test must be performed using a COVID-19 molecular polymerase chain reaction (or PCR) test and must be taken within 72 hours prior to the traveller’s scheduled departure to Canada.

Anyone who receives a negative test result and is authorized to enter Canada must still complete the full, mandatory 14-day quarantine.

The Government of Canada will be further increasing surveillance efforts to ensure travellers entering Canada complete the applicable mandatory 14-day quarantine period under the Quarantine Act.

As has been the case for months, all travellers will have their quarantine plans reviewed by a government official and, if not suitable, will be required to quarantine in a federal quarantine facility. Travellers to Canada must use the ArriveCAN App or website and provide accurate contact information and their mandatory 14-day quarantine plan on or before entry.

Violating any instructions provided when you enter Canada is an offence under the Quarantine Act and could lead to up to six months in prison and/or $750,000 in fines.

Canadians who are currently travelling and returning to Canada soon should start immediately arranging for a COVID-19 test, to avoid a delay in their return to Canada. Canadians who are planning to travel abroad should consider how they will meet these requirements before departure.

tcook052

The National Airlines Council of Canada, which represents the country’s largest airlines, warned earlier Thursday of major issues in Ottawa’s plans, including what options passengers have if their jurisdiction does not offer the kind of test the government accepts.

skybluesea

just received the press release you posted, it is clear as mud. The moderators post from Minister Leblanc says Canadians will not be denied to return, but now the minister of transport is saying something different by inference that Canadians will be denied boarding.

WannabeSE

Same. I'm wondering what the OIC will say... can't find it so far.

For example a CBC article said, that if you are able to demonstrate that that there are no testing facilities you may still board... How does this work when testing in certain places, are anywhere from 24 hours to 5 days? Clearly, you get the result, but not in time... so need to re-test? Seems like a vicious cycle.

skybluesea

please share link when you do

Here is another wrinkle, the government announces return by air, and while this Forum generally deals with commercial air transportation, there are a lot of wealthy Canadians who can afford private jet travel to the Caribbean etc., and so what does a scheduled arrival time actually mean in that case.

On Time Reports

How do you demonstrate that such a testing facility doesn't exist?

Imagine flying across the world on multiple airlines and trying to convince each airline that you are flying on that the country of your point of departure has no suitable PCR test facility. What a mess!!

skybluesea

and must the PCR report be available to the CBSA officer to check on arrival in one of the two official languages

Fiordland

In the day and age of FedEx a test is always available. Take the cruise ships that are docked offshore in the Caribbean waiting for cruise ships to be safe for travelers again. The crew are regularly tested. They run a tender into the nearest port and hand the sample off to an airline to fly out to Miami or where ever.

Air Canada, Sungwind, WestJet and AirTransat all understand how to move express cargo around on passenger airlines. They have contracts in place at all of these airports. If they wanted to they could organize someone to collect samples and put the samples on a flight to a nearby city with testing capability. The issue is will they go out of their way to organize it. How much will they want to charge their passengers for the service.

hoipolloi

how do you prove a mail-in test has been done properly (ie: all the way up/down the nose) and on the right person ?

Fiordland

I am not saying the individual does the test. I am saying the airline or its contractor does the test.

hoipolloi

This is gonna strain even more the relationship between the government and airlines

skybluesea

In the absence of easy to follow operational rules, the easiest thing for international airlines to do, and remember we are taking about more than just Canadian based operators, is to simply deny boarding. I see NO upside for airlines to take major financial risks in carrying to Canada improperly documented travelers - and that is exactly what the lack of verifiable PCR test may turn out to be (subject to seeing the OIC).

Plus, from due diligence perspective, how will airlines record that they received / reviewed the travelers PCR test - will airlines need to keep hard copy, will screen shot sent to airline be sufficient, etc.. And who is liable? If passenger makes connection somewhere, and the last leg carrier denies passenger boarding to Canada, what happens to passenger at transit stop?

and the funniest of all, how long will it take for Ottawa to react to mess they are creating here when the howls start coming from Caribbean beaches that Canadians can't get home. Might be a lot of empty desks in schools, offices, and other workplaces when Jan 8th comes along and folks still waiting to obtain their documentation to come home.

If C-19 wasn't so deadly, this would be truly a laughing matter.

sydneyracquelle

Some travellers might have to ultimately fly to Buffalo/Detroit/Seattle etc. and rent a car to get home as negative covid test requirement doesn’t apply at land borders.

Fiordland

The US has already imposed this testing requirement for travelers coming from the UK. Given we should see a new administration in the US that wants to take a more active role against COVID, I would not be surprised to see similar rules being imposed on entry to the US.