Travelling abroad during Covid for Emergencies

[tonytiger55]

I thought I would start a thread to give a guide for anyone travelling abroad during Covid for emergencies. To share the process if it helps anyone. Headaches, tips etc. I have had a bit of a nightmare so far. Information is all over the place on the internet. So hopefully this can give some sort of a guideline/template on what to do.

Any input is welcome. I will try and update.
Unfortunately my fathers health is declining rapidly (non covid) and its looking like he will be passing away before I get there. I need to head to London, UK asap.

So far this has been the process. The UK government site has been a bit of a nightmare in figuring out tests and stuff.

1. I booked a oneway ticket. There are no direct flights from Calgary. Transit via Toronto. Price was about $330. When it came to paying it was $660. The difference was carrier surcharges.

2. Booked a covid test Sunday. Booked for Monday morning at Dyna Life labs. This has to be done within 72 hours of flying.
I recommend booking and checking ahead as it looks like they have lots of locations and availability but it i misleading. I ended up booking first thing at the NE location on Monday. The process was quick and easy. No complaints.
https://www.dynalife.ca/travel
This cost $150. I got my result this afternoon(Tuesday) via text and email.

3. A covid test kit has to be booked when arriving in London. The UK gov website does not tell where. You have to book this ahead of time before you fly.
I found where to do it. Booking can be done via the Heathrow Airport website:
https://www.heathrow.com/at-the-airp...andatory-tests
Its $210 UK pounds sterling. Thats about $370 Canadian. You have to isolate for 10 days. The kit is delivered to the place you are staying at. Two tests must be taken. These are in the pack.

Make sure you enter the corrrect flight number. I accidentally entered the transit flight from Calgary. I sent a correction email. So will see what happens when I get to London.

4. Then a passenger locator form needs to completed. This has to be done within 48 hours of flying. Not before.
https://www.gov.uk/provide-journey-c...fore-travel-uk
Again this asks for the flight number, phone number, address staying etc.

5. Now on the way back I don't know. So far a covid test has to be done before flying back. On the UK side. This is $85/90 UK currency at the airport. Thats about $150 Canadian.
https://www.heathrow.com/at-the-airp...9-test#booking

6. Canada side. From what I understand quarantine has to be done at a hotel in Toronto as that is the port of entry - NOT Calgary. Cost of hotel and Covid test. This is yet to be determined. Any input is appreciated.

Other: So in terms of work and salary. Work has given me two options. The Canadian gov offers help in terms of income caregiving. So you instruct your employer and they put you onto this and the gov pays. The employer tops up. I tried calling the goverment helpline, but it is closed and I fly out tomorrow morning.
But I need the form to be completed by a doctor/nurse. But I can't get to the hospital as I will be in quarantine and nether can any family member go to the hospital. Im not sure doctors can state caregiving as my dad will be passing at some point. Technically I am giving care to mum to help dad in this time. But she is not the one sick. I don't know if the hospital will release this info to me.

The second option is bereavement help on the gov side. But my dad has not passed. I have no idea what im going to do for income. I'l prob use my vacation/personal days etc.
But just something people should be mindful if faced in a simiar situation.
https://www.canada.ca/en/services/be...aregiving.html

[pheoxs]

How does isolation work in terms of returning from Canada?

I believe its mandatory paid 3 days in a hotel until you've tested negative then you have to quarantine at home for the remainder of the 14 days. But how does that work to take a second flight back to Calgary during your 'quarantine'. Or do you end up spending 2 weeks in a Toronto hotel?

[revelations]

#6 - Peel Police at YYZ are no longer giving a fuck about travelers walking away from the quarantine hotels.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6CVo_1xZ3c

[ExtraSlow]

I believe when returning to canada you do yournisolat9at the final destination, not your first stop in the country. So 8n this case Calgary not Toronto.

[tonytiger55]

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How does isolation work in terms of returning from Canada?

I believe its mandatory paid 3 days in a hotel until you've tested negative then you have to quarantine at home for the remainder of the 14 days. But how does that work to take a second flight back to Calgary during your 'quarantine'. Or do you end up spending 2 weeks in a Toronto hotel?

My sibling contacted Air Canada and spoke to a rep. The Air Canada rep said its a three day quarantine in Toronto. You can't transit. You get put into a hotel for three days and you must book in advance. The whole booking thing has been crazy from the reports. Once the test comes negative, you are taken back to airport for your connecting flight. Air Canada just books you onto the next available flight to continue.

Can anyone read this and make sense of this?
https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/tr...er#transit-air

Extra slow, I'l ask tomorrow at the airport to see if the end point is Calgary for the quarantine.

Does anyone know if the US has any of the quarantine rules on transit? In theory I could transit through Dallas on the way back and do the three day quarantine in Calgary.

[ExtraSlow]

I'm going purely on hearsay based on coworkers who continue to travel for business purposes.

The best is to be an essential worker, then no quarantine at all. I think most of my coworkers would qualify for that if we did the right paperwork. I don't think my company is exploring that, although similar companies apparently are.

[roopi]

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My sibling contacted Air Canada and spoke to a rep. The Air Canada rep said its a three day quarantine in Toronto. You can't transit. You get put into a hotel for three days and you must book in advance. The whole booking thing has been crazy from the reports. Once the test comes negative, you are taken back to airport for your connecting flight. Air Canada just books you onto the next available flight to continue.

Can anyone read this and make sense of this?
https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/tr...er#transit-air

Extra slow, I'l ask tomorrow at the airport to see if the end point is Calgary for the quarantine.

Does anyone know if the US has any of the quarantine rules on transit? In theory I could transit through Dallas on the way back and do the three day quarantine in Calgary.

You don't need masks in Texas so I'm guessing no quarantine rules there. I would definitely look into this option.

[flipstah]

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You don't need masks in Texas so I'm guessing no quarantine rules there. I would definitely look into this option.

Yeah, worth a shot; YYC -> DFW -> LHR

[flipstah]

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Other: So in terms of work and salary. Work has given me two options. The Canadian gov offers help in terms of income caregiving. So you instruct your employer and they put you onto this and the gov pays. The employer tops up. I tried calling the goverment helpline, but it is closed and I fly out tomorrow morning.
But I need the form to be completed by a doctor/nurse. But I can't get to the hospital as I will be in quarantine and nether can any family member go to the hospital. Im not sure doctors can state caregiving as my dad will be passing at some point. Technically I am giving care to mum to help dad in this time. But she is not the one sick. I don't know if the hospital will release this info to me.

The second option is bereavement help on the gov side. But my dad has not passed. I have no idea what im going to do for income. I'l prob use my vacation/personal days etc.
But just something people should be mindful if faced in a simiar situation.
https://www.canada.ca/en/services/be...aregiving.html

The link you posted states,

"You are a family member of the person who is critically ill or injured or needing end-of-life care, or you are considered to be like a family member"

So you're eligible for it as you are a family member of the person needing end-of-life care.

Also isn't work bereavement counts if your immediate family is on life support?

[kenny]

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I'm going purely on hearsay based on coworkers who continue to travel for business purposes.

The best is to be an essential worker, then no quarantine at all. I think most of my coworkers would qualify for that if we did the right paperwork. I don't think my company is exploring that, although similar companies apparently are.

Even with essential worker exemption there seems to be confusion with the most recent rules.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/winds...-act-1.5926311

[ExtraSlow]

Dafuq is our government doing?

[tonytiger55]

Update.

When I fly back I have to pay and get tested on the UK side before I fly.

You have to quarantine at your port of entry. So a flight back via Toronto means quarantining at Toronto for three days. It has to be on the list of government approved hotels at a GAA rate. It cannot be the standard rate.
What I have learned from others that have posted from social media. A three day stay is averaging at around $1000. This is non refundable. So you can get tested on day one at the hotel. Results can come back negative the next day. You fly back to Calgary and quarantine at home for 10/14 days.

The mandatory hotel stay is blatant cash grab. I don't see why I can't fly into Calgary and take my test at home like I have done in the UK.

I checked if I was able to fly through Dallas. But I don't think transit is being allowed from anyone coming from the UK or Europe.
I might get to Calgary via KLM. Hotels are slightly cheaper in Calgary. But I'l see when the time comes next month.

[ExtraSlow]

One of my coworker just returned to Canada from China and yeah he had to hotel in Vancouver before flying to Calgary to quarantine at home.

[revelations]

https://www.insauga.com/loopholes-st...earson-airport

[quote]
This week, Peel Police said enforcement matters have been turned over to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), the body responsible for the protocols that require international travellers to take the COVID test and to quarantine at a hotel after arriving at the airport.
However, PHAC has yet to confirm its own enforcement plan, and may not have the ability to issue fines or stop those who simply bypass all protocols and walk out of the airport. [/quote]

Im in a similar situation as a family member is dying in the EU right now - coming back I'd much rather take a (possible) non-sticking fine of 800$ and be on my way - rather than a mandatory bill of over 1000$ and 3 days of thumb twiddling time in full lockdown.

[Tik-Tok]

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The mandatory hotel stay is blatant cash grab. I don't see why I can't fly into Calgary and take my test at home like I have done in the UK.
.

Because then you might be infecting everyone on the flight between YYZ and YYC. People were complaining about exactly this month's ago, so they stopped allowing it. Now people are complaining it's not allowed.

There's a shit ton of flaws in almost every rule they've implemented since the beginning, but this is one rule I'm glad of. I wish the full 10 days quarantine was at port of entry, and then you wouldn't have to do anymore when arriving home.

[tonytiger55]

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Because then you might be infecting everyone on the flight between YYZ and YYC. People were complaining about exactly this month's ago, so they stopped allowing it. Now people are complaining it's not allowed.

There's a shit ton of flaws in almost every rule they've implemented since the beginning, but this is one rule I'm glad of. I wish the full 10 days quarantine was at port of entry, and then you wouldn't have to do anymore when arriving home.

Fair point. But there will always be some sort of risk. Is the risk deemed so high..? That is the question I like to see the data on. To give a perspective. Mandatory hotel stay in London is only required on countries marked red.
Its the price gouging that is the issue and its non refundable. Thats the issue. Its only government approved hotels.
I think a three day non refundable hotel stay is pushing it a bit at $1k? One can book three days at the same hotel for way less. But that is illegal. I don't see why I cant book my own hotel room and order my own food in.

To give a perspective. Me and my sister landed in LondonThursday morning (day zero) and took a taxi home. Our Covid test packs arrived Thursday and Friday. Saturday we took our tests. Monday we received the results which were negative. The instructions were we still could have covid and need to stick with our quarantine.
Government called Tuesday to check in.
We took our last test on Friday. Our results came in Negative. But are still quarantined till Monday as per rules.

[ExtraSlow]

Data based restrictions are not a thing. Most restrictions are more about optics and punishment than science.

They WANT travel to be a hassle. That is the goal. It's working.

[spikerS]

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Data based restrictions are not a thing. Most restrictions are more about optics and punishment than science.

They WANT travel to be a hassle. That is the goal. It's working.

exactly.

Same reason JT closed the loop hole about closing CERB benefits for people quarantining after coming home from vacation.

the spirit of the law is good, just horrible implementation. Travel should be a big fucking pain in the ass and be super costly to discourage it in times like this.

[Maxx Mazda]

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exactly.

Same reason JT closed the loop hole about closing CERB benefits for people quarantining after coming home from vacation.

the spirit of the law is good, just horrible implementation. Travel should be a big fucking pain in the ass and be super costly to discourage it in times like this.

Wait, you WANT travel to be a pain in the ass right now? Did I read that correctly?

[ExtraSlow]

I won't speak for spikerS, but that is absolutely the aim of the government. And I think the government is accurately judging that its something many voters want.