zrh2yvr

RT-LAMP is molecular and valid for travel to CAnada - they are just not so common.

xray

If you were positive on the proctored RT-LAMP, that counts as proper documentation as it's a molecular test...antigen doesn't work for proof of prior infection for Canada.

hoipolloi

This. RT-LAMP is one of the accepted molecular tests for proof of positive or negative results

hoipolloi

I got my gold ticket too from an RT-LAMP test kit that I had on hand "just in case"

gcashin

Oh yes, I'd read the initial reply quickly and I'd interpreted the original note being that the positive test was from the antigen, but sounds like OP got it documented via the RT-LAMP test. I was aware that the LAMP tests were OK, but the antigen part led me astray.

lily23

The requirement for the rapid antigen test to be administered in clinic and disallowing home tests is a real bummer though...antigen tests aren't priced much cheaper than PCR if testing at a clinic...

Yul_voyager

Do the test really have to be administered at a clinic ? Or you just need a certificate signed by a clinic / heath professional / pharmacy ?
What about online supervised tests ?

By the way there are still some advantages with antigen tests
1 - you get the results more quickly
2 - it is generally cheaper
3 - it is less sensitive. More chance for the test to be negative if you have a very low viral load (in which case you generally are not contagious).

lily23

Based on what was in the CBC / Global News articles, it seems even supervised at home tests are excluded. Relevant quotes below:
"These tests will need to be administered by a laboratory or health care entity, meaning doing a test at home won’t work" - Global
"Travellers will still be required to take a pre-arrival test, but they can instead opt for an authorized clinic-administered rapid antigen test" - CBC

It is true that there are benefits like faster results/less sensitive, but for the most part (at least in Seattle/Vancouver anyways), I haven't found antigen tests to be significantly cheaper ie. a PCR is 175 and an antigen in clinic is ~150. I've been using the BinaxNow home test (proctored via video) to get back to the US and those are much much cheaper (6 pack for $150) and also more convenient to do at home vs. scheduling an appointment at airport. If anyone has done the antigen test at YVR, its a gong show now that travel has opened up - an hour wait to register even if you have an appointment, and then another hour to actually test tested, and then another 2 hours to get results via email.

Anyways don't mind me, I'm just grumpy and complaining. Especially because European countries are moving towards dropping pre-departure testing entirely - hello UK/France!

xray

During the news conference, Minister Duclos specifically said testing administered by telehealth service was included so the proctored antigen tests are acceptable.

rankourabu

Its in the official release too

Taking a rapid antigen test at home is not sufficient to meet the pre-entry requirement – it must be authorized by the country in which it was purchased and must be administered by a laboratory, healthcare entity or telehealth service

hoipolloi

Don't rely on incomplete news articles. Go to the source, which says telehealth tests are acceptable
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-heal...-response.html

emcampbe

For me, definitely glad to see the restrictions for children traveling with vaccinated parents disappear. Was too difficult to bring our 3yo, but now shouldn’t be a problem. I’m not 100% clear if, since she’s not vaxed (can’t be), she’ll be required to do the arrival test and day 8 (though unlikely to visit that long) tests, but honestly, those are easy enough…she does these every week for pre-school now, so she doesn’t flinch when swabbed anymore. My biggest issue was the list of things she could/couldn’t do currently, with seemingly no reason for conflicting rules (Uber is ok, public transit not, but grocery store is ok also).

Alright, living in the US, so maybe I’m more knowledgeable, but beyond me why anyone would pay for PCR tests from the US, unless you need a rapid for some reason or can’t get an appointment at a place like CVS or Walgreens, or really just want/need to get one on premises at the airport. While some places charge, many do not - they can not in fact if they received government COVID funding - whether the patient has insurance or not. Walgreens/CVS/Rite Aid
are no cost at pretty much all of their drive thru locations. Here in the Bay Area, I know about a dozen places I can get no cost PCRs, and while appointments were a problem from about early Dec. to late Jan (basically, during holidays and omnicron surge), they aren’t as much now. With advance planning, this is also easy (Walgreens opens up appointments at midnight local time 7 days (or maybe it’s 6?) prior, so you just login and snag one then. Right by me, we have a drive-thru that has appointments next day typically, and in a pinch, calling and saying you need one today will almost always generate an availability to get one.

FlyerGoldII

With the new regulations of doing a molecular covid test 72 hr before departure or rapid antigen test 1 day before departure- what advantage is there if I go to USA and do a rapid antigen test - esp if I have access to free tests at Walgreens or other US pharmacies as you state above.

In fact, I submit that in the scenario of doing a nonpcr rapid molecular test in such pharmacies, the turn around time is not that much longer than the time for the rapid antigen test in such pharmacies- but I have more time to do the rapid molecular covid test in relationship to departure compared to the rapid molecular test.

At least for travelers going to USA-- the new rules for allowing a rapid test are only advantageous in regions of USA where there are no pharmacies offering a free non-pcr rapid molecular test. How often do we face this situation.

I guess in most other non US countries- it is either a rapid antigen test or a pcr test. So I guess that the new Canadian travel covid regulations are particularly advantageous for travelers returning from these countries.

zrh2yvr

Just one more piece of info regarding "home tests". I won't get into specifics but I traveled at Christmas to Canada and used a home test kit PCR. This was one where I took the sample myself (could have been anyone), I filled out all the information online through the portal, I took the sample to the drop box. Even the sample time is self-reported - as it is filled in online. It was tested overnight and I received my certificate the next afternoon 100%. My in-laws (for a trip to AU) went to a full-fledged clinic to have a sample taken and it ultimately turned out that they must have been using the same lab as the report came back in the 100% identical format.

So - while Canada does not allow these types of test (now) - I can say I traveled on it at Christmas with 100% no issues as the certificate was identical to the one from a lab anyway. We did actually take the test ourselves and made a good attempt to get a proper sample - so there was no "cheating" but we did wonder how this could be ok. . . . . but it was in the end.

Really glad that the Telehealth certificates are ok. Hopefully the Switch antigen kits are valid for return to Canada.

Unmaxdemax

Hello,

arrived in YUL yesterday. Was selected for testing. So far, I haven’t received my results.

nobody told me to isolate and i wasn’t given any leaflet: am I really supposed to self isolate, still?

thank you!