New Canadian Government PCR Test Requirement

[Douglas Henderson]

Thanks Rob, may be too late for us as timing may dictate making a decision by Monday, January 4 to reconfirm vacation. $190-$200 CDN/person for the test let alone the anxiety/stress awaiting results prior to leaving is taxing. This is assuming tests can be done and expedited in time in Negril Worst case scenario, this will be the first time in 40 years I will not have vacationed in Negril

Hey Rob.... latest update... have cancelled our trip. With great uncertainly about testing site.... the potential of huge test demand, logistics, quarantine possibility in Jamaica and definitely for 14 days in Canada, ability to process test in time (within 72 hours of leaving to Canada) and the stress of thinking about the test throughout the holiday would not allow for the well needed familiar Negril relaxing experience. I am heart broken now. Have booked January 9-23, 2022 for our next trip hoping Pandemic will subside to allow for travel without current caveats.

[Rob]

Douglas,

No worries, completely understandable. Yesterday I was trying to calm down a Canadian visitors leaving on the 8th. She was beside herself and had been misinformed by all the varying stories floating around the Negril rumour mill.

It is a tough dilemma that the Canadian government put their citizens in...

And there seems to be growing concerns from the airlines as they have been given little to no guidance on how to implement these new regulations.

A real mess no matter how you look at it.

[airswift]

Douglas,

No worries, completely understandable. Yesterday I was trying to calm down a Canadian visitors leaving on the 8th. She was beside herself and had been misinformed by all the varying stories floating around the Negril rumour mill.

It is a tough dilemma that the Canadian government put their citizens in...

And there seems to be growing concerns from the airlines as they have been given little to no guidance on how to implement these new regulations.

A real mess no matter how you look at it.

Too true, but no surprise.
Travellers who ignore Health Canada's travel advisory do so at their peril.
They new or should have known something like this could happen.
I booked my trip last Feb. for travel in Nov.
By March I knew it was not going to happen.

[shetrytea]

Too true, but no surprise.
Travellers who ignore Health Canada's travel advisory do so at their peril.
They new or should have known something like this could happen.
I booked my trip last Feb. for travel in Nov.
By March I knew it was not going to happen.

I had emailed the lab in Montego Bay, already booked a appointment as I leave Jamaica Jan 31st. It is $20,000 JMD for the test which must be paid 24 hours before the test . Results take 48 to 72 hours. I also contacted the airline to see if my results are not back what are the change fees, however they advised due to the new PCR testing requirement the airline will put me on the next available flight for free if the results are not back in time before departure.
You can book your appointments online with microlabs in Montego Bay as they are the only lab who offers PCR testing right now. It can not be the antigen testing that negril offers at this time.

[airswift]

I had emailed the lab in Montego Bay, already booked a appointment as I leave Jamaica Jan 31st. It is $20,000 JMD for the test which must be paid 24 hours before the test . Results take 48 to 72 hours. I also contacted the airline to see if my results are not back what are the change fees, however they advised due to the new PCR testing requirement the airline will put me on the next available flight for free if the results are not back in time before departure.
You can book your appointments online with microlabs in Montego Bay as they are the only lab who offers PCR testing right now. It can not be the antigen testing that negril offers at this time.

I assume you realize that if the "next available flight" exceeds 72 hours from your test result date you will have to be retested and go thru the whole procedure again.

[RyanP]

I hate to share this, and Rob can delete it if it is not allowed, but we had to cancel our trip to Negril because of presumably false positive PCR test. The tests are supposed to be pretty reliable, but are not perfect. Just to briefly touch on what happened... I was tested only for travel (no symptoms, never any symptoms)...
Me: Negative Antigen (1/18), Positive PCR (1/18), Negative PCR (1/20)
Wife: Negative PCR (1/18)
Daughter: Negative Antigen (1/22)
I'm sure everybody says they are careful, but I have close contact with just a couple of other people, other than my household (wife and young daughter). Never been around anyone that has been sick (that I am aware of). The Department of Health told me to assume it was a false positive and to disregard it.

[airswift]

I hate to share this, and Rob can delete it if it is not allowed, but we had to cancel our trip to Negril because of presumably false positive PCR test. The tests are supposed to be pretty reliable, but are not perfect. Just to briefly touch on what happened... I was tested only for travel (no symptoms, never any symptoms)...
Me: Negative Antigen (1/18), Positive PCR (1/18), Negative PCR (1/20)
Wife: Negative PCR (1/18)
Daughter: Negative Antigen (1/22)
I'm sure everybody says they are careful, but I have close contact with just a couple of other people, other than my household (wife and young daughter). Never been around anyone that has been sick (that I am aware of). The Department of Health told me to assume it was a false positive and to disregard it.

Would a retest have cleared this up?

[RyanP]

My primary care physician said it was recommended that two negative PCR tests be received at least 24 hours after the positive to negate it. With the short holiday week, this would have been difficult. Additionally, I did not feel comfortable misleading my hometown airline (who I fly with frequently and could potentially blacklist me if I was caught) or the Jamaican gov't, which could penalize me the fines or jail if it was found out that I was not honest with them. I can't imagine that the airline would have allowed me to fly or if the Jamaican gov't would have allowed me into the country if I would have disclosed the positive test. Even if I was allowed to enter Jamaica and disclosed the positive test, they would likely want me retested and confined to my room until the test was deemed negative. We were only staying for several days.

[airswift]

My primary care physician said it was recommended that two negative PCR tests be received at least 24 hours after the positive to negate it. With the short holiday week, this would have been difficult. Additionally, I did not feel comfortable misleading my hometown airline (who I fly with frequently and could potentially blacklist me if I was caught) or the Jamaican gov't, which could penalize me the fines or jail if it was found out that I was not honest with them. I can't imagine that the airline would have allowed me to fly or if the Jamaican gov't would have allowed me into the country if I would have disclosed the positive test. Even if I was allowed to enter Jamaica and disclosed the positive test, they would likely want me retested and confined to my room until the test was deemed negative. We were only staying for several days.

How can the Department of Health advise you to assume it's a false positive and disregard it. What if the test result is correct. How will you know without further testing?

[RyanP]

Because of the facts involved, I suppose. I was only being tested because of Jamaica's requirements, had no close contact with infected/sick individuals, had no symptoms, had a negative Antigen test, followed by a positive PCR test (2 hours later), followed by a negative PCR test (46 hours later), and had negative tests for the two other individuals in my house for roughly the same time period. Sure, it could potentially bounce around my family and we could all be asymptomatic and the testing could just happen to miss it all but one test, but unlikely. My primary care physician said he had seen presumptive false positive tests and my neighbor's mother had a similar experience with the testing site that I used. By the time I would have been able to receive my test result from a second follow-up PCR test, the isolation period would have likely expired, anyway, so I just isolated.

Even with what the Department of Health said, I did not board the flight, I did not enter Jamaica and I was not around others after my positive test. Your questions are why I chose not to attempt to travel. It is not easy to explain or for someone else to understand. I'm just sharing my experience.