In fact, many countries require travelers to enter their territory.
The bill for these tests can be steep, especially when traveling with family, Antoine Ndayizamba, a Windsor resident, who will travel to Burundi next week, realizes.
It’s $220 per person plus taxes. So if there are three of you, you should already count around $700
, he explains.
This is a huge amount compared to the various investments we are making to be able to travel. Imagine a person who has to travel with his family, look at how much he has to pay. It’s enormous.
For several weeks, it appears that some public health facilities have decided to stop conducting international travel tests.
This is the case of Windsor Regional Hospital, which in March indicated, in a statement posted on its website, that COVID testing centers would no longer deal with international travel screening.
The press release directs people who wish to have this type of testing to three laboratories in Windsor.
Back to the airport
Each of the labs mentioned by Windsor Regional Hospital offers a range of COVID-19 tests, including PCR tests for international travel purposes at prices as little as $199 before taxes.
These are just the lowest prices, and some are even higher when demand pressures the outcome.
A case that Antoine Ndayizamba does not understand. It cannot explain the difference between a test that is open to the public, which is free, and a test intended for travelers.
How was this amount determined? How did we finally agree that this should be $220
, he wonders.
One thing is for sure, however, there really is a difference between the tests Canadians take on a daily basis and those used in international travel, as Therese-Chantal Milleus learned the hard way.
This Oshawa residence was scheduled to travel to Turkey earlier this week. The airline brought her back to the airport.
I couldn’t because my COVID test wasn’t going to the airport. […] They say they want the PCR code, but my code wasn’t PCR, it was a “C” thing and it didn’t happen
as you say.
It creates a lot of difficulty because, until now, I don’t know how to get my money back.
Milio, who took the test at a public screening center, thought she had done the right thing.
first test […] He was in COVID testing centers. You just made an appointment online. Not understand. They say they want the nose sample, it’s the nose sample, only because we didn’t put the code they wanted so I can’t travel
, she explained.
She explains that she had to buy a new airline ticket, as the company refused to change her travel date.
She also had to schedule a PCR test that would cost her $250 which she would have two days before her new travel date.
Unnecessary trips?
Pauline Chachwa will be visiting Cameroon soon. He could have found himself in the same situation that Thérèse-Chantal Millau faced.
Fortunately for him, he discovered in time that the tests required for the trip were at a cost and different from those that are taken daily at mass screening centres.
Since I had a friend who traveled a couple of months ago, I inquired to see how it went. He told me, No, you don’t have to take a classic test. Take a paid test instead and show me the site [Internet où faire ses réservations]
Pauline Chachua explains.
When we asked Radio Canada about the reasons for these prices and the often discrepancy observed from one lab to another, Health Canada, Public Health Canada and Public Health Ontario referred us to the ministry. From Ontario Health, who did not answer our questions.
