What happened ever since? I ask because you're the first known case in this discussion since the random tests resumed with a somewhat different system on July, 19.

Question since I'm due to travel to Canada in 8 weeks and I can't see things changing before then.

As far as I'm aware, your ArriveCAN information can be done on a computer before you travel and a printed copy of the receipt can be presented at customs, yes? Therefore, say you don't want to take any devices with you that have email capabilities, and will only travel with paper documentation (which I always do just in case of device failure), if the only way you can be notified if you've been randomly selected for testing is by email, how will they tell you without email? Is this not glaring workaround to avoid being informed of selection or am I missing something here?

Yes, it's medical theatre.

The e-mail didn't mention the exemption at all. The online registration didn't mention it at all. The page on arrival testing doesn't mention it (although the other page linked by [MENTION=10103418]analogueman[/MENTION] does).

The first indication I had that I didn't have to do the test was the phone call.

After selecting that option, the recording told me I needed to keep proof of said positive test in case they asked me for it.

But at no point has there been any opportunity, let alone request, for me to supply such documentation. I've heard nothing since that phone call.

I strongly advise to not use the APP. I have only used the paper - every time - - only used my Swiss telephone number - never been called and never had any issue. Nobody has to use the APP - the website has always been active and available -- and you don't need a signal or anything to use paper.

Nothing...a couple of phone calls from an automated dialer for a few days and then silence.

The random arrival testing is not intended to detect all infected travellers and prevent spreading the virus, as they only select around 5% of travellers. It's only meant to gather statistics about the positivity rate and variant distribution, which the PHAC wants to track, in order to have early warning and be better prepared for new variants.

If this were true, the tests would be conducted anonymously. Or if not anonymous they could at least defer to provincial isolation restrictions rather than enforce a 10-day isolation from the date of the test.

If this were true they would only allow swabs that could be collected for detailed analysis. The quasi-self tests you do at home with a nurse on video link can’t detect and report on which variant you have.

If this were true they wouldn’t allow an exemption because you had a positive case 6 months ago, which doesn’t rule out you getting it again, and certainly doesn’t rule out you getting a new variant, which this broken system is apparently designed to monitor.

The government intention with the random arrival testing it to gather statistics. That's what the government says, and that's also the only reasonable explanation. I'm not saying that I support this, or that it's a smart or efficient method to gather survailance about incoming variants.

I agree that there are many issues with the way they implemented this as well. You have to realize that this random selection is sort of inherited some aspect from previous policies, when they wanted to test all incoming travelers, during the initial Omicron wave, to stop the spread of the disease. Back then, it made sense to quarantine travelers with positive results, and I think the requirement today is a leftover from that time.

Regarding your comment on variant sequencing, I think you are mistaken, as the swab is sent to the lab, which performs a the PCR test, and is able to also perform genetic sequencing to identify the specific variant.

At the time it would have made more sense to set up testing at random Walmarts or Costcos. They would have caught more positive cases. And it's not like domestic cases are less contagious than overseas travellers'. In fact, the latter might be more prone to avoiding social interaction.

It never made sense, nor does it now.

Agreed. I didn't say the way they implemented it made any sense. Another example here, is the exemption for recently receovered person. The exemption itself is reasonable, since we know a recovered person can test positive on a PCR test for several weeks or months, but they never provided a procedure for travelers to provide the proof of recovery, so many recovered persons had to be tested and got a (false) positive result.

Ummm... you "can't see things changing" ? How did you determine that ??
Why do you assume things will stay the same ?? Do you realize the current policy is a remnant of the covid emergency situation of the last two years, and as such it's temporary. So at some point "things" will change back to normal. This has been the case in other countries, and even in Canada the trend is defintely of slowly rolling back Covid restrictions.

Actually, the current policy is set to expire at the end of September, so there is a fair chance it won't be renewed. As usual, I expect the government to only anounce if the border measures are going to expire or be extended, only a few days before the end of September. But do take this into account and wait for the news before your trip.

Yes, the current policy is set to expire at the end of September, but as we head into autumn and winter, when case numbers are inevitably going to go in the wrong direction, can you really see the government relaxing the border measures? Hey, if they do, great. That'll make everybody happy. Guess we'll just have to wait until the end of September to see where things stand.

Or - it may have nothing whatsoever to do with the case count, and everything to do with the sunk costs of the contracts with Switch Health, etc and whomever designed that awful ArriveCan app.
I'm betting on the latter, and we'll see it renewed.

We are flying into YYZ on Friday. Assuming all goes well we are taking the train to Niagra ONT and spending the night there Tuesday. Our plan was to cross over to the NY side and pick up our rental car when we get in Tuesday morning and drive it back to our hotel on the Canadian side of the falls. We are driving to Cooperstown early Wednesday morning. This now seems like a bad idea. a)do we have to do further ArriveCan info for our "trip" across the border to Hertz in NY and then back to our hotel on the CA side? b)this also seems to set us up for another chance at random testing. I know some here say that there is no testing at land borders but that directly contradicts the information on the CA govt website. Land testing was never suspended even when the random air arrival testing was briefly suspended earlier this summer. I am now wondering if we should just stay in Canada and pick up our car Wednesday morning. The reason we were trying to avoid this is it's my understanding Uber/Lyft will not drive you across the border. We need to leave early Wednesday, so trying to cross the border on foot (with all our luggage for a 9 day trip) then get a Lyft to Hertz on the NY side seems like a giant pain. Any advice on that end (assuming I'm not in a 10 day quarantine)? I'm paranoid enough that I'd cancel this trip if it wasn't too late.

I have taken many taxis (not rideshare) across the border. No issues.