What's your definition of "getting past" Covid? I'm flying to Barcelona tomorrow and all it took was a few minutes to put my vaccination data into their travel form.

I'll probably spend more time filling out the customs sheet on the way home.

Well it’s the testing requirements that are a pain. You don’t need a test to return to the UK anymore, so there’s no risk of being stranded abroad. It’s really the US requirement to test to enter that’s an issue for Americans who want to travel overseas.

Then again, if it’s a self-administered lateral flow test, you can mitigate the risk by just not really swabbing the inside of your nose. It will probably still show up if you’re really sick and shedding lots of virus, but there’s probably less chance of a false positive or picking up a very low viral load.

What’s really stupid is countries (as I mentioned Portugal is an example) that still require masks in specific settings, like public transportation. What exactly is the point of requiring them there, and nowhere else?

Testing for travel should end for fully vaccinated people, because that is the best protection. Needing testing seems to undermine the vaccination.

I was/am against showing vaccination to get into businesses in my own country, but I am fine with showing proof of vaccination to get into another country because I am a guest in that country. It's not much different than vaccination requirements for other diseases.

Another question is, when does proof of vaccination get dropped? Will I have to show a raggedy CDC card in 2027 to get into Canada or the Bahamas?

I'm flying to the US next week and was pretty surprised to discover that I still need to provide a negative test to do so. It sounds like a rapid test is acceptable though - any idea how that works? (ie. can I literally just hand them a negative test with no further context or information required? Seems unclear from the CDC's site)

It should end for everyone. There's no real point for it anymore.

typically you need an "official" rapid test administered by a professional who can "vouch" that it was indeed you who took the rapid test.

Silly, but still relatively inexpensive. More so just annoying.

Apparently the Leafs are going to Tampa today for playoff games and are bussing to Buffalo first to avoid the requirement and the risk of a player getting kept behind because of a positive test. You don't need a test to drive across the border.

The ironic thing is that the US actually has stricter border controls than Canada as of April 1 - both still require you to be vaccinated, but the US requires a rapid test for flying now while Canada no longer requires testing for vaccinated travelers at all.

Go to a pharmacy and get a rapid test for travel - you can book it online for Shoppers / Loblaws by entering your travel info. Whether or not they actually ask for the test is a crapshoot. My wife didn't get asked when flying to California for work a few weeks back, nor did friends going to Florida (less surprising). If going through customs at Pearson they'll ask there, you just need the proof of negative.

A pretty pointless use of $40 all in all, but at least fairly quick and painless.

At least for the US, getting past Covid should amount to treating it like the flu.

Stop everything. Testing, talking about it publicly (let medical professionals discuss it, but stop reporting it on the evening news as if it’s supposed to be newsworthy), all mitigation measures, etc.

The only thing that should be emphasized is vaccination. Everything else has been, and will be, a waste of time and more harmful than good.

^ I say the above because the silly media has made so many regular people scared out of their minds of this virus despite vaccination and boosting.

Americans can’t think straight so I still have all these people calling me with “I tested positive for Covid, what should I do?” It’s a daily face palm moment for me because it’s like re-teaching grown ups what to do when they have a cold.

And stop testing yourselves! Stop the Covid testing.

Thanks for the info. Was hoping to be able to just hand them a random negative rapid test and not have to waste 30 minutes and 40 bucks, but oh well.

Yeah, you just cannot administer your own test. To fly to Australia I needed a pcr test done from an approved facility within 72 hours of my flight. To return to the US I needed a pcr test from a histopath clinic within 24 hours of my flight. Fortunately there is one at the airport. If you test positive (according to United) you cannot fly back to the US for 11 days even if you eventually test negative unless you get a note from a Dr. that you're cleared to fly. That is why I took my own test and when I tested positive extended my trip 7 days, which by that time I tested negative with another home test in time to go to get tested at the histopath clinic for my flight back the US. Anyone from the US planning a trip overseas should budget your trip for an extra 7 to 11 days just in case you happen to get sick on your trip.

Your airline will require proof when you check in, so it’ll have to be from a testing provider that sends results by email or printed copy. It’s a money making scheme.

Fine for Americans, but on a small island like Britain it’s a real pain in the ass. We get on a plane every time we go somewhere for a weekend.

Has this changed? When I went to London in December I absolutely administered my own test, which I got from the concierge at our hotel. My husband and I went to a lobby bathroom and did the test. We talked at the time that it was such a scam as we could easily cheat. We are going back Memorial Day weekend. Not as worried about getting stuck as I was at Christmas.

This has been a primary concern for me about leaving the country during the pandemic. I'm planning to go overseas this summer so hopefully they lift this stupid rule by then. If they don't and I get stuck paying for an extended trip you'll all hear about me suing the Federal government. :)

High Alert incoming!

Indoor masks urged is the word on the street.


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Credit: ABC7NY

^ :rolleyes:

The mixed messages are just laughable. The mayor is pushing for return to office, and the same week his health department is “urging” masks indoors. News flash guys, these are fundamentally incompatible recommendations.

Cue Pedestrian to say the 20-somethings should be forced back o their offices where they will sit masked for 10+ hours per day, but normal people understand this is ridiculous.

^ The problem is that they keep counting Covid cases.

It is meaningless, just cut it out.

When you bring people together, viruses circulate. Intelligent & informed people get this.

How is it incompatible?