Any new information on the latest announced travel restrictions please post here

[armoured]

1). Any information regarding travelers that have tested positive for covid prior to their flight to Canada due to having received a vaccine?

Sorry, I should have answered more carefully for this part of your question.

My understanding is that the test required to enter Canada - the so-called "PCR test" - should not give a positive result due to having had the vaccine. In other words 'testing positive for covid ... due to having received a vaccine' is (supposedly) not a thing.

But I'm not an expert and the question about antibodies etc is a complicated one.

https://theconversation.com/will-the-covid-vaccine-make-me-test-positive-for-the-coronavirus-5-questions-about-vaccines-and-covid-testing-answered-155958

 

[Western Mountain Man]

Sorry, I should have answered more carefully for this part of your question.

My understanding is that the test required to enter Canada - the so-called "PCR test" - should not give a positive result due to having had the vaccine. In other words 'testing positive for covid ... due to having received a vaccine' is (supposedly) not a thing.

But I'm not an expert and the question about antibodies etc is a complicated one.

https://theconversation.com/will-the-covid-vaccine-make-me-test-positive-for-the-coronavirus-5-questions-about-vaccines-and-covid-testing-answered-155958

Not all vaccines are the same and was wondering if the PCR test prior to the flight could show a false positive?
Though, If it did you wouldn't be allowed on the plane. The article you posted talks about antibody testing that would show you had been previously exposed, infected or vaccinated at some point but it's not a requirement and I think it gets even more complicated with the variants.

The weather is getting better and many are getting antsy........ I'm guessing more travel restrictions.

 

[armoured]

Not all vaccines are the same and was wondering if the PCR test prior to the flight could show a false positive?

I'm not sure that article is the best, but various sites (incl US CDC) say no, the PCR test should not show a false positive because of the vaccine. The PCR test is supposed to detect live virus, which is not what the vaccines use. (Not all vaccines are the same but as far as I'm aware, the same holds for all of them)

Now of course false positives for any test are possible and well-known (in smallish numbers) - but this is true regardless of the vaccine.

So fully answering your question depends on what you want to know. Can someone who has been vaccinated test (false) positive? Yes - but so can someone who has not been vaccinated. Can someone who has been vaccinated actually be positive (carrying the live virus)? Some arguments about this, but basically - yes, they think so. Can they distinguish between these situations? I think means multiple tests.

And of course no vaccine (for any disease) is 100% effective either. Much argument about that. So addfitionally, you can have the vaccine and actually be ill with covid - hence the positive can be a real positive.

Etc and you can run through various scenarios and then find various scientific papers saying they've discovered one or two cases where such and such happened and further study needed. No need to go down the rabbit hole with that stuff, what the public health authorities say is what counts for travel purposes.

And as I understand the official guidance - you will not test positive because of the vaccine. You may still test positive even if vaccinated (whether false positive or carrier) - you'd still be classified as testing positive unless/until testing negative.

 

[sgp1986]

Does anyone know of anywhere to find (recent) reviews of the approved quarantine hotels?

 

[Western Mountain Man]

Does anyone know of anywhere to find (recent) reviews of the approved quarantine hotels?

Google is your friend.
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/latest-travel-health-advice/mandatory-hotel-stay-air-travellers/list-government-authorized-hotels-booking.html#a1

 

[sgp1986]

Google is your friend.
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/latest-travel-health-advice/mandatory-hotel-stay-air-travellers/list-government-authorized-hotels-booking.html#a1

Yep. Thats a list of the hotels. I meant reviews of anyone that have had to stay for the 3 night quarantines, to see which hotels seem bearable vs the horror story ones. When I've googled it, I've only seen articles from Feb or early March that show them all as disasters, but I'm guessing at least some of them have gotten it together after a couple months of this.

 

[Western Mountain Man]

Yep. Thats a list of the hotels. I meant reviews of anyone that have had to stay for the 3 night quarantines, to see which hotels seem bearable vs the horror story ones. When I've googled it, I've only seen articles from Feb or early March that show them all as disasters, but I'm guessing at least some of them have gotten it together after a couple months of this.

Just remember " cheapest is not the best " and you are allowed to leave after a negative covid test result comes back. Usually within 24hours.
If you're worried about catching covid at one of the hotels then pick one that has a good reputation and get out as soon as you can.
Be careful with the shuttles from the airport especially if they are crowded and adjust your schedule wisely to lower the risks.

 

[Western Mountain Man]

Seems more are arriving here with covid,.... I wonder where they are all coming from?
https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/more-than-300-overseas-travellers-with-covid-arrived-in-canada-over-six-weeks-this-year/ar-BB1fHu4G?ocid=hplocalnews

 

[armoured]

Seems more are arriving here with covid,.... I wonder where they are all coming from?
https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/more-than-300-overseas-travellers-with-covid-arrived-in-canada-over-six-weeks-this-year/ar-BB1fHu4G?ocid=hplocalnews

Honest question, when you say 'more', do you mean that it's increasing? (Compared to what period/data?) Or just 'more than zero'?

Side comment - I found this text interesting.

The Angus Reid Institute poll found 58 per cent of respondents said the self-paid, three-day stay was necessary, while 34 per cent said it was unnecessary and eight per cent were not sure.

It also found that 48 per cent think the plan is ineffective, compared with 30 per cent who think it works. Only five per cent say it is really effective.

I honestly don't know what to make of this poll result - roughly half of people think the hotel requirement is necessary, and about as many think it's ineffective. Does that mean the measures should be more strict, or less strict? (acc to public opinion that is). Seems to me no answer to that.

Just from the data, seems the infection rate is a bit lower than the current Canadian positive testing rate of ~3.5% (but these numbers aren't really comparable). 300 over a period of six weeks is pretty minimal - but of course still higher than zero; at least those arriving and being tested are kept separate from the general population.

The big gap of course is those entering by land from the USA, where we don't have any numbers we can compare to the above (at least that I've seen), and certainly no testing numbers.

 

[Western Mountain Man]

Honest question, when you say 'more', do you mean that it's increasing? (Compared to what period/data?) Or just 'more than zero'?

Side comment - I found this text interesting.


I honestly don't know what to make of this poll result - roughly half of people think the hotel requirement is necessary, and about as many think it's ineffective. Does that mean the measures should be more strict, or less strict? (acc to public opinion that is). Seems to me no answer to that.

Just from the data, seems the infection rate is a bit lower than the current Canadian positive testing rate of ~3.5% (but these numbers aren't really comparable). 300 over a period of six weeks is pretty minimal - but of course still higher than zero; at least those arriving and being tested are kept separate from the general population.

The big gap of course is those entering by land from the USA, where we don't have any numbers we can compare to the above (at least that I've seen), and certainly no testing numbers.

Yes, increasing since the beginning of the the mandatory hotel quarantine and especially over the past month.
In my opinion the feds should be stopping all flights from hot-spot areas now. Though, I'm sure that would become an election issue.

Just my observation.
The airport authority is desperately trying to get their staff (customs, security, etc.) all vaccinated because 'some' have contracted the virus.
With the amount of infections reported on local flights and increasing infections on international flights it doesn't surprise me and the airport
is the last place I would want to be at this point. Unfortunately that means stay at home for my family.

I don't rely on polls you mention. The situation is constantly changing and also believe demographics has a lot to do with it.
For example: At the start of the quarantine hotel program the hotels I communicated with stated they had no covid cases and now there is.
I'm sure you would be interested in the numbers but the hotels are being told not to say anything and refer you to Public Health. They won't
tell you anything especially if you inquire about the ' Gulag ' hotel. ( Local people in the business know all about it ).
FYI.....For those arriving not all positive covid cases go to the ' Gulag ' hotel for quarantine !

There is no data or testing numbers that I have seen for those entering along the land border from the USA and with the border closed I'm not
sure it's of any real concern at this point?

 

[armoured]

There is no data or testing numbers that I have seen for those entering along the land border from the USA and with the border closed I'm not
sure it's of any real concern at this point?

The thing is, the border with the USA isn't closed - it's limited entry but even wider-open than international flights. Plus all the essential workers, lots of Canadians coming back (Canada closed to Americans, mostly, but not the other way around) - as we know, that was one of the big reasons this policy was brought in in the first place, was Canadians going south and back. Etc., etc. There are more exceptions open to those coming from the USA than anywhere else.

And I'm not saying arrivals from the USA more likely to be infectious, but that the numbers may be a lot higher than all the other international arrivals (by air anyway) combined. (That's a bit of a guess though)

A minor request - could we stop calling them the gulag hotels? My fault - I may have been the one that started that as an ironic joke.

Gulag just too dark a history to be tossed around lightly. Again, my fault.

 

[aliceee94]

Landed through air yesterday, I can confirm that having "Vulnerable person at quarantine location" on ArriveCAN does not disqualify you from entering Canada.

 

[Western Mountain Man]

Landed through air yesterday, I can confirm that having "Vulnerable person at quarantine location" on ArriveCAN does not disqualify you from entering Canada.

Good to know.
Are you having to stay at one of the local quarantine resort hotels?

 

[aliceee94]

Good to know.
Are you having to stay at one of the local quarantine resort hotels?

I'm doing the 3 day hotel quarantine right now, but I'll be able to quarantine at home if I get a negative result. Multiple bedrooms so I'm able to avoid contact.

Ugh I kinda understand one reason for the hotel quarantine now though. A lot of people just ignored social distancing and literally stood next to me when queuing for stuff at every airport.

 

[Canada2020eh]

I know no one here is an expert, but please give me your opinions on if I'm reading this right.



If I read that correctly, if my wife picks me up at the US/CA land border, and plans to quarantine with me for 2 weeks, that won't be a problem, right? I've been vaccinated so I'm not worried about getting her sick. Speaking of, when crossing the border, would showing my vax card be suitable or will I still need the negative test results?

You are allowed to quarantine with your wife. You will still need the negative test even though you are vaccinated.