Travelling Pilot Plan - only 2 day Quarantine

Pumpkin1172

DIS Veteran
Joined
Sep 14, 2016
It has finally happened!!! They are rolling out a pilot project in Alberta with Alberta Health and Canadian Government.

If you will get a covid test before leaving the airport, then isolate until you get the results. After that, if you follow the protocols set up ( a followup test in 6-7 days, wear a mask, daily monitoring and checking in for any symptoms ) you only have to quarantine for 2 -3 days until you get your test results back.

This is HUGE!!!! For people that need to travel to see family, or want to travel, this means we can travel and NOT have to take 3 - 4 weeks off of work.

We have learned so much in the past 8 months about the virus. And the medical community will continue to learn more.

But for an entire industry that employees soooooooooooo many people from airline, travel agents, hotels, restaurants, and so much more. It will get people spending money and giving people their jobs back.

If people are wanting to travel and they feel the risk is low for them, this is good news for them,

Here is a link with some information. More details will be coming as the start date gets closer

https://www.alberta.ca/release.cfm?...sKV2Oka-nq-N0Rqij-yJJ0wEUMn_26HeIhlEebvOcEReU
 
It is GREAT news and I can't wait to see it rolled out in BC! DH actually sent me a link to this yesterday and said "looks like the Caribbean is back on the table soon!"

I'll be honest, I spent a fair part of my work day yesterday looking at flights and hotels. We originally thought about Barbados but when I checked the "Where can I travel" site, Barbados was not on the list...so back to the drawing board and landed on Jamaica! They have no restrictions there as of right now with the exception of the 2 weeks upon return to Canada and if we get rapid testing out here then that will be reduced to just a couple of days. DH and I work from home so 2 week quarantine is not a problem for us but if we go during March break, DS would have to miss some school to do 2 weeks at home after a 1 week vacation.

Of course, all of this is up in the air until we get more information and I am certainly not booking anything yet! We did decide on a within BC vacation in December, I booked us to go to Whistler for a few days after DS is off for Winter break. Self contained unit with a full kitchen and limited number of people on the hills.
 


It is GREAT news and I can't wait to see it rolled out in BC! DH actually sent me a link to this yesterday and said "looks like the Caribbean is back on the table soon!"
I was soooo excited when I heard this. This was exactly what I was hoping for as well.
Our winters are long and cold in northern Alberta. We spend weeks hovering around - 30 or colder. It gets old very fast. Considering we already have snow on the ground and will not see ground again until the end of March or April, winter is VERY LONG.
I am hoping we can do a winter vacation in late March early April...as a graduation gift to me for completing my degree in office administration!!! This momma will need it. This also keep me pushing through working full time, part time ( our travel fund ) and completing 4 college courses through distance learning ;)
 
It is GREAT news and I can't wait to see it rolled out in BC! DH actually sent me a link to this yesterday and said "looks like the Caribbean is back on the table soon!"

I'll be honest, I spent a fair part of my work day yesterday looking at flights and hotels. We originally thought about Barbados but when I checked the "Where can I travel" site, Barbados was not on the list...so back to the drawing board and landed on Jamaica! They have no restrictions there as of right now with the exception of the 2 weeks upon return to Canada and if we get rapid testing out here then that will be reduced to just a couple of days. DH and I work from home so 2 week quarantine is not a problem for us but if we go during March break, DS would have to miss some school to do 2 weeks at home after a 1 week vacation.

Of course, all of this is up in the air until we get more information and I am certainly not booking anything yet! We did decide on a within BC vacation in December, I booked us to go to Whistler for a few days after DS is off for Winter break. Self contained unit with a full kitchen and limited number of people on the hills.
I read an article online this morning that Premier Ford is very excited about this project and will be watching it very closely, hoping to implement it in ON sooner rather than later as well. However, nothing from our BC premier, which I guess isn't very surprising given we are in the middle of an election (which is over tomorrow, thank goodness!) However, BC has been very vocal about NOT wanting tourism to start up any time soon so as much as we hope this will come to BC, I have a feeling we won't be seeing it at YVR for many months to come. Having said that, I know that WJ has been testing passengers at YVR voluntarily, have they not? Crossing my fingers this is the good news we are all wanting!
 


It's news we've been hoping to see for a long time. The 2 week flatten the curve was expanded to keep it locked until there is a vaccine and other countries are back to normal and their hospitals are not overflowing. Anyone in the airlines that has been out of work for 6 months this is big news. It's not just pilots and flight attendants. There's ticket agents, ground handlers, fuelers, airport workers from janitorial to food industry and the ever forgotten mechanics. There are tens of thousands of people unemployed and not everyone qualified for wage subsidy as much as our government would have wanted everyone to believe. We were unemployed for 5 months until finding work again. I was never so happy to be going back to work I think I hugged every tool in my toolbox. We are not ready to go on holidays yet. I ripped open every mattress and dug up every tin can I had buried in the back yard. It's going to take a while to get back on our feet before we do anything but for now anything we do is going to be local, starting with finally being able to do take out.
 
But don’t forget that some Islands require a negative PCR test uploaded within so many days of travel. Here is N.S., those tests are $250 per person and not for non-essential travel.

You would need to visit the island’s government website to see what protocols are in place (ie, PCR tests, travel authorization form, health form). I think Jamaica was one of the islands still requiring all of this prior to travel.
 
But don’t forget that some Islands require a negative PCR test uploaded within so many days of travel. Here is N.S., those tests are $250 per person and not for non-essential travel.

You would need to visit the island’s government website to see what protocols are in place (ie, PCR tests, travel authorization form, health form). I think Jamaica was one of the islands still requiring all of this prior to travel.

going to be a lot of people headed to Florida thats for sure
 
But don’t forget that some Islands require a negative PCR test uploaded within so many days of travel. Here is N.S., those tests are $250 per person and not for non-essential travel.

You would need to visit the island’s government website to see what protocols are in place (ie, PCR tests, travel authorization form, health form). I think Jamaica was one of the islands still requiring all of this prior to travel.

All you need in order to go to Jamaica is to apply for a travel authorization which includes a health questionaire and info about where you are staying. Negative Covid tests are only requuired if you are a resident of the USA, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Panama, or Mexico.

Some hotel groups are even offering complimentary C-19 health insurance.
 
I think most of you here should stop and think things through. The federal government has not raised the restrictions from 'essential travel only'. Yes, this makes it easier for essential travelers to return to Canada, but it does not open the restrictions on non-essential travel. Traveling outside of your region, now more than ever, is putting yourselves and others at risk. COVID-19 is surging here in Canada and even more so in the US. Unless you have to travel stay home, stay safe.

We had a booking at a resort in Quebec two weekends from now about 90 minutes from home (made back when things were looking much brighter). We just had to cancel because we live in a red zone in Ontario and would be traveling through red zones in QC to get there (Laurentides is currently Orange). The Surete have roadblocks setup between regions checking for essential travel only, especially out of the red zones. We weren't going to risk exposing ourselves and others just for the sake of a bit of R&R.
 
I think most of you here should stop and think things through. The federal government has not raised the restrictions from 'essential travel only'. Yes, this makes it easier for essential travelers to return to Canada, but it does not open the restrictions on non-essential travel. Traveling outside of your region, now more than ever, is putting yourselves and others at risk. COVID-19 is surging here in Canada and even more so in the US. Unless you have to travel stay home, stay safe.

We had a booking at a resort in Quebec two weekends from now about 90 minutes from home (made back when things were looking much brighter). We just had to cancel because we live in a red zone in Ontario and would be traveling through red zones in QC to get there (Laurentides is currently Orange). The Surete have roadblocks setup between regions checking for essential travel only, especially out of the red zones. We weren't going to risk exposing ourselves and others just for the sake of a bit of R&R.
It is absolutely important to think through your decisions, but that doesn't mean everyone will arrive at the same conclusions :)
 
You are correct it is essential travel only but it is a first step. Personally I don't believe that the vaccine will be the cure all and this is here to stay,
This.
They have already said that a vaccine won't be a 'silver bullet' to end this thing. There will be people that don't want to take it, there will be people that can't take it. It's going to be another layer of protection for those that do take it. This virus is not going anywhere and we need to find a way to live with it.
 
I think most of you here should stop and think things through. The federal government has not raised the restrictions from 'essential travel only'. Yes, this makes it easier for essential travelers to return to Canada, but it does not open the restrictions on non-essential travel. Traveling outside of your region, now more than ever, is putting yourselves and others at risk. COVID-19 is surging here in Canada and even more so in the US. Unless you have to travel stay home, stay safe.

We had a booking at a resort in Quebec two weekends from now about 90 minutes from home (made back when things were looking much brighter). We just had to cancel because we live in a red zone in Ontario and would be traveling through red zones in QC to get there (Laurentides is currently Orange). The Surete have roadblocks setup between regions checking for essential travel only, especially out of the red zones. We weren't going to risk exposing ourselves and others just for the sake of a bit of R&R.
But isn’t the whole idea that if the pilot is successful we would be able to detect and contact trace the cases quickly and effectively to avoid mass spread and be able to open up to non essential travel ? If it’s a failure or presents significant issues , the pilot program will make those challenges known.

If there is a safe ( nothing is 100%) way to manage travel and tourism during this virus I think its time to explore it. If you are tested on the way back in , and follow the public health protocol, and tested a second time and this proves to be sufficient to manage spread .. sign me up.

I will always make decisions that keep in mind my social responsibility, but I‘m also not waiting until there is 0% chance of contracting Covid , because I don‘t think it’s coming. I’ll embrace the safest and most effective ways of resuming some sense of normalcy.
 
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I think most of you here should stop and think things through. The federal government has not raised the restrictions from 'essential travel only'. Yes, this makes it easier for essential travelers to return to Canada, but it does not open the restrictions on non-essential travel. Traveling outside of your region, now more than ever, is putting yourselves and others at risk. COVID-19 is surging here in Canada and even more so in the US. Unless you have to travel stay home, stay safe.

We had a booking at a resort in Quebec two weekends from now about 90 minutes from home (made back when things were looking much brighter). We just had to cancel because we live in a red zone in Ontario and would be traveling through red zones in QC to get there (Laurentides is currently Orange). The Surete have roadblocks setup between regions checking for essential travel only, especially out of the red zones. We weren't going to risk exposing ourselves and others just for the sake of a bit of R&R.
I prefer to decide for myself what is essential and what is not. It feels so nice to be back in the United States. I’m not looking forward to returning to all the intrusions in Canada.
 
I prefer to decide for myself what is essential and what is not. It feels so nice to be back in the United States. I’m not looking forward to returning to all the intrusions in Canada.

My initial response to this was going to be WAY more undiplomatic.... but I will leave it at this..... The pandemic affects more than our individual travel decisions... If travel is the only thing that means anything to you .... as long as it serves your interests --- not making it safer for people and businesses in Canada to re-open --- then definitely stay in the US - please --- where they're nudging towards 100,000 new cases per day ---- seems like a good place for you to stay so you won't feel like the intrusions of a nation actually trying to manage a pandemic infringe on your right to vacation. If you feel safer in a place that has about a significantly higher case and death rate .. then enjoy.

Every Canadian has made sacrifices to contain this virus. Pandemic means we're in this together... what I do affects you... what you do affects me..... Our businesses won't be able to re-open or survive at all if people look at this myopically... If you think a restriction on leisure travel is the biggest thing in the world right now.... you're just wrong..... If you do come back to Canada then please at least respect the requirements of local authorities in terms of quarantine.
 
My initial response to this was going to be WAY more undiplomatic.... but I will leave it at this..... The pandemic affects more than our individual travel decisions... If travel is the only thing that means anything to you .... as long as it serves your interests --- not making it safer for people and businesses in Canada to re-open --- then definitely stay in the US - please --- where they're nudging towards 100,000 new cases per day ---- seems like a good place for you to stay so you won't feel like the intrusions of a nation actually trying to manage a pandemic infringe on your right to vacation. If you feel safer in a place that has about a significantly higher case and death rate .. then enjoy.

Every Canadian has made sacrifices to contain this virus. Pandemic means we're in this together... what I do affects you... what you do affects me..... Our businesses won't be able to re-open or survive at all if people look at this myopically... If you think a restriction on leisure travel is the biggest thing in the world right now.... you're just wrong..... If you do come back to Canada then please at least respect the requirements of local authorities in terms of quarantine.
I believe travel shaming has no place on what is literally a travel forum. For how long shall we sit home and stare at the walls? Until a vaccine? Oxford and the US CDC have two of the “leading” vaccines in development and both have said we can “hope for” a 50% effectiveness rating. The vaccine is being developed from SARS vaccine materials (there was not ever success with a SARS vaccine btw). This is here to stay. Most of what we see is “safety theatre” as it has been referred to on this forum in multiple threads. We can refer to mask materials testing to see this. Please don’t try to make people feel bad for finding some joy during this stressful time. The world is in a virus pandemic but we also have unprecedented social
problems from isolation and restriction including domestic violence, child abuse, and mental health crises. Many hospitals have no room for more psychiatric patients and our domestic violence shelters are as full as the lines at food banks and homeless shelters. If someone wants to take a trip:, I say “Take that trip.”
Edited: wanted to add that relapse into addiction is also occurring at alarming rates.
 

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