This was definitely not part of the "fun" 50 New Things of this year but a novelty nonetheless, and hopefully one that will not reoccur as borders re-open and travel resumes more normally. If anything this blog is more for posterity and will likely elicit reactions like "Wow! Crazy! People had to do that!"
After the quarantine hotel, I had to go straight to my quarantine location in my case, home. I had assured the Government of Canada that I could feed myself, would stay away from other people in my household and had my at-home covid test kit which had been given to me at the airport after clearing customs. Thoughtful friends had left a few essentials in my fridge (including a mint, chocolate and vanilla stout which is still there) and I had a subscription food box delivered on my arrival. Here is what I had to do:
Fill out a daily report on the ArriveCAN app which I had downloaded before I had even left for Peru. This is where I detailed my quarantine plan. The report was a simple yes-no question on whether I had any covid-related symptoms.
Answer the phone when Health Canada called. The lady was very nice and confirmed that I was observing my quarantine plan.
Answer the door when Health Canada rang the doorbell. I was surprised but my travel companions and I all got an in-person visit. Again, the gentleman was very polite and confirmed my plan.
Book my at-home covid test using the instructions in the kit given to me at the airport.
It was actually all very simple and everyone was pleasant. I sensed on health representatives' part an equal amount of relief that I was pleasant back. For the test, on Day 8 of my quarantine, I logged on the SwitchHealth portal and waited about 20 minutes to meet a nurse via teleconference. She walked me through the process, which was basically to swab each nostril for 15 seconds each. Once it was over (in 10 minutes tops), the portal allowed me to book a pick-up of the test with Puralator. The driver showed up the next day and I received my negative result within 3 days, which almost coincided with the end of my quarantine.
However, there were a few things that I wondered: for folks with a disability who have trouble manipulating a vial full of liquid (in which the swab is preserved), what kind of help is available to them? what happens if you have a poor Internet connection in a rural area? does Puralator cover all zones in Canada? And what happens if you test positive?
It turns out that one of my travel companions had a positive result. Members in her household had to get tested and another at-home test was shipped to her within a couple of days. She took the test again and luckily, the results came back fast: it was determined that she had had a false positive the first time around. This prolonged her 14-day quarantine by 3 days. It was not ideal by any means, but at least it was dealt with relatively quickly.
I will not miss all of these extra steps, but I am grateful that it was a seamless process. For my next trip, I hold that everything will be a lot simpler!
