Travel to Canada and covid

[User7777]

So, the unthinkable has happened. Tested positive in an lft yesterday night. Which is great, as I'll be over it by the time I travel in 10 days. I'm fully vaccinated, will hopefully have no symptoms (and very unlikely to be infectious after 10 days), so I'm fit to fly according to Canada guidelines.
But, if I get pulled for random testing I'll test positive won't I. And I'll have to quarantine for my entire holiday. And they accept proof of recovery 10+ days before travel, but the date of the test would be today which is 9 days. So then technically I shouldn't travel, even though I can as its actually 10 days.
Spent the morning looking into changing flights etc, not getting much joy. I can cancel on my travel insurance but I don't need to as I'm technically fit to fly.
What can I do???? Anyone know how likely being chosen for random testing is???

I've travelled to Canada from the UK 5 times over the past 2 years. I suspect that the testing is not always entirely random. Prior to being selected I had filled out information about where I would be staying including the type of acommodation and if anyone over age 65 lived there. I stay with my mother who is 75. I was selected for testing both times I travelled while this policy was in place and it didn't seem to be a case of more were selected than weren't. Quite the opposite. So being cynical, I would say your chances depend on the answers you give on the Arrive Can form.

Thank you That's interesting. Arrivecan only ask for an address though, they don't ask for information about who else is there...
I have registered my positive test on the NHS website and have confirmation, not sure if that's enough though.

Following with great interest. So annoyed Canada brought the random testing is back. I got my booster just I case they made them mandatory but now the random tests are back 😞 I’m due to travel at end of September but only going for 8 days to visit my sister whom I’ve not seen for 5 years . Can you keep us updated with how it goes for you? Fingers crossed too don’t get chosen if you decide to go 🤞🤞

OK, it could be the landing card that you complete on arrival where the questions about other people in the house were asked. This card was filled in at an electronic kiosk and then handed to airport staff. The test selection was done at this stage. I am in Canada at the moment but random testing had been tempirarily suspended when I arrived in June. They have only just reintroduced the random testing.

@User7777 if you've registered your positive test you might not be able to get proof of vaccination from the nhs - you need this for ArriveCAN? I was trying to see/remember what Qs it asks as well as I think it asks if you've recently tested positive.

I believe the test selection a slightly different now as you get an email sent when you’ve landed( I won’t have data so not sure how I’m going to be notified if selected j is less I connect to airport Wi-Fi ) and it’s done offsite not at airport like before.

My daughter has just been to Quebec and back a few days ago and didn’t see any random testing. If it helps both my DH and I just had covid 2 weeks or so ago for the first time and we both tested negative on LFT 8/9 days after first testing positive. You might be testing negative by the time you catch your flight. Even if not, you would be unlucky to be pulled out to test, unless they were you coughing in the queue. Fingers crossed!

Coughing is not the symptom for most now. Everyone seems to have sore throat, runny nose and a bit of tiredness. Hope you are ok though OP.

I had COVID on 2 June and travelled with all 3 jab certs 16 days later. I think 9/10 days is close but if it’s legal, it’s possible. Just make sure it is! I already had my jab certs in my wallet! I also had a cert for a positive test. When we went, Canada had dropped random testing. We were very lucky and Canada Govt seems COVID trigger happy. We found lots of Canadians annoyed with their Govt.

It reduces your visit to a lottery doesn’t it? I’m not sure anyone knows what % of travellers were pulled over before. We met people on our trip who tested in Canada before joining our boat trip. We didn’t need to. They said they would have quarantined and then gone home if they were positive! However. Where do you quarantine? Hotel? You probably have to say where on ArriveCAN. It’s a nightmare for the holiday businesses and travellers. We saw next to no one wearing masks outside the airport. When you have just had it, you won’t get it again so quickly will you?

It does feel like a lottery. I've already uploaded my prrof of vaccination onto arrivecan. And downloaded it too just for good measure.
I've also got proof of infection on the NHS app 10 days before travel, but it's only from an lft not a pcr. I do have a photo of the lft though!
I think I'm safe tbf, as in I won't infect anyone while I'm away cos I'll have just had it. Whether the govt sees it like that, I don't know...
Ive read that they contact you by email for testing, but data is so expensive in Canada I won't even have roaming on.. And I'm staying in a few different places, so don't really have a quarantine plan. Not that I actually need one, as I'll be over it by then. Ugh.

Also, did you need to get tested here at all? Lots don’t. It made sense for me with the boat trip in Canada (10 guest boat is the same COVID regs as a cruise ship!!) with different regulations for tests, but for you, it is just the testing in Canada lottery. COVID is with us now and changing regs all the time is an utter pain.

Arrivecan just asks you for vaccination status, don't think it even asked about symptoms. Seems, very bizarre, especially since you don't have to isolate while waiting for your results 🤷‍♀️

I thought you could only do ArriveCAN 3 days before arrival? Sorry not trying to be difficult but I am here now so have recent experience!!

We are travelling to Canada in 11 days time. Dreading this happening. Not helpful I know but hope it all goes ok for you OP.

I've filled out the passenger details already. Just need to do the rest before travel I think. Was trying to be organised.

It's even more frustrating because they suspended testing last month and only just brought it back in 😩

@User7777
Yes we went on 18 June and it was suspended. Brought back in 19 July. One strongly suspects travel makes no difference to anything much. I think ArriveCAN is 72 hours before you go from memory. However from the attached, you cannot travel without some risk! It depends on date of test and then it’s 10 days including the date of the test. You can depart on the 11 th day. Not depart on the 9th or 10th day. It really sucks. 5 days would be reasonable!

forgot this!

It's definitely the 11th day that I fly. I keep checking it on my fingers! Tested positive on Friday, flight is a week on Monday

They have a regulation where you are excluded from random testing if you’d had covid in the previous 180 days.
Here it is: travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/travel-restrictions/covid-vaccinated-travellers-entering-canada#arrival

They do, but they take it from the date of a pcr and I tested with an lft.
Tested yesterday evening, couldn't get a pcr at that time.
Was going to get a pcr today, but that would make it so I can't fly as it wouldn't be on the 11th day. So I don't have the right proof,

Ahhh crap. Sorry!

So with a lft, who knows you are positive? You probably won’t be when you fly. You will be 11 days from lft to arriving. That’s a long time to remain positive. Would your insurance be paying out if you did a lft and were still positive on, say, next Saturday? If you are negative you might be confident about going.

Luckily I have insurance that covers covid.
My current plan is to do a fit to fly pcr next Sat, and if its positive I can use that as proof to claim. If its negative, I imagine I'll pass arrivals testing.
I hate not knowing what will happen though!

@User7777
Its so worrying isn’t it? We have to pass a pcr test to board our expedition cruise to the Antarctic in November. I’m already dreading it. We will try and avoid people before we leave but we have three flights and time in BA and southern Argentina before we get near the ship!!! What if one of us is positive? No chance of having a 19 day expedition cruise! And it really is the trip of a lifetime. I’m not likely to do this again snd it’s our third attempt at the holiday after COVID cancellations. It was supposed to be a celebration of a very significant wedding anniversary and half the time I wish I wasn’t going. It’s a huge amount of money. I’m already a wreck.

Do LTF tests even count as they could easily be faked?