It’s not just fun and games.
Canada’s economy and its social structure are both closely intertwined with that of the U.S. Many Canadians have no choice but to travel to the U.S. on occasion.
I’m one of them.
I work part-time for a tourism organization in the U.S. As part of my job, I have to fly to the States today. I only needed a rapid antigen test to get into the U.S. right now, and that costs me $29. No worries about that.
But to come back to Canada I have to have a PCR test taken within 72 hours of my departure. Many pharmacies can’t promise that kind of quick analysis, so that forces me – and many others – to go to a medical clinic for testing. I paid $100 USD in Milwaukee for a test two weeks ago. This week, I forked out $175 USD for a test in Virginia, which is more than $200 Canadian.
We have a 90th birthday party for my Dad coming up in California in late October. As it looks now I’ll need another test, perhaps at a cost of $200 CAD. We have a tradition of spending U.S. Thanksgiving at my Dad’s place, so that means I’m looking at perhaps another $200 late in November.
When all is said and done, I may have had to pay more than $700 for four tests, even though I’m doubly vaxxed.
Surely the Canadian government could either eliminate testing requirements for fully vaccinated people coming into the country, or at least move to a still reliable but much less expensive rapid antigen test. That seems a reasonable compromise that would still offer a solid layer of protection for Canadians, while allowing families and business folks to go back and forth over the border without spending a small fortune.
Pexels photo from Polina Tankilevitch.
That’s pretty much the position taken last week by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.
“The Canadian Chamber’s position on not requiring pre-departure tests for fully vaccinated travellers arriving into Canada is based on the recommendations of the COVID-19 Testing and Screening Expert Advisory Panel,” said Mark Agnew, Senior Vice President of Policy and Government Relation for the Chamber. “This past spring the Panel’s report on border measures was released. In that report, the Panel recommended for fully vaccinated travellers to not require a pre-departure test, quarantines, or even a day 7 test.
“Given the Panel’s recommendations, the Chamber has not taken a position on rapid antigen tests pre-departure. However, some of the considerations are noted in the Panel’s report.”
Frederic Dimanche, Director, Ted Rogers School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Ryerson University, said PCR tests are price prohibitive in the USA and Canada (to compare, in France, they have been covered by the social security system: free) and they will be a major barrier to people travelling across the border, whether for business or leisure. In addition, to my knowledge, nobody has yet come up with a simple solution to identify test providers who can deliver the results within 24 hours. This would be a useful App for all travellers!
“With vaccination being required for all travellers, and with the very low rate of positive people arriving at YYZ (Toronto Pearson Airport), for example, from abroad, I do believe that we could lighten the testing requirements. Rapid tests should suffice. This would not only lower the “convenience” barrier, but also the “price” one,” he said.
“On another note,” Dimanche added, “Canadian travel will remain down until the government drops the general travel warning. This is essential for traveller confidence.”
U.S. Congressman Brian Higgins of upstate New York says testing “is redundant” to proof of double vaccination).
“It will lead to a lot of Canadians that will be reluctant to come into the United States,” Higgins said. “There’s a cost associated with that. It’s also an additional administrative step that I think is unnecessary.”
Border states such as Washington, New York, Michigan and Maine have been missing the cash brought in by daytripping Canadians. With the holiday shopping season almost upon us, tourism officials in border states worry Canadians will stay home if they have to pay $100 or $200 for a PCR COVID-19 test.
Higgins says he and other U.S. politicians are writing to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to seek an easing of testing rules.
The trouble is, there’s little in it for Trudeau. Survey after survey shows Canadians want to be protected from foreign residents who might have COVID-19, and it’s unlikely he’ll face much domestic pressure because of a few folks who want to travel.
Indeed, Deputy PM Chrystia Freeland poured cold water on the idea in Washington D.C. last week, saying she had a test taken before flying home (I bet she didn’t have to organize or pay for it out of her own pocket) and that the Liberal government prefers a steady, cautious approach based on science.
Public Safety Minister Bill Blair on Sunday also suggested Ottawa is happy with the current rules. In an interview on Friday of last week, however, he hinted there could be some talk on the subject down the road.
Still, I don’t see Canada’s testing rules changing anytime soon. And that means continued payouts for expensive testing for Canadians looking to return home.
