Planning an international trip? The costs of necessary PCR tests could add up
With the United States border reopening to fully vaccinated travellers next month, residents in eastern Ontario are once again dreaming of that international getaway.
However, with the Canadian government requiring those entering the country to take a COVID-19 test before you land, that travel comes with an added cost.
As soon as she heard about travel restrictions easing, Kingston resident Katherine King jumped at the chance to book in her plans.
"Yesterday, we booked a cruise for next year," she says in an interview with CTV News Ottawa.
King knows she will need to pay for a negative test to get back home. Still, she says she is all in.
"I guess we’ll take it in as part of the cost of the trip and fun," she explains.
On Nov. 8, the U.S. will reopen its land border to fully vaccinated Canadians, but the federal government requires all Canadians 5 years of age or older to provide proof of a negative PCR test at the Canadian border.
Rapid tests, which are cheaper and quicker. are not accepted.
Patricia Marques, the director of sales a CAA North Eastern Ontario, says that it should be something you take into consideration, and that where you travel could mean different costs.
"You definitely need to budget for every single person that is travelling at this time," she explains.
For example, she says if you’re flying to Florida, you don’t need a test when you arrive in the state. However, you will need one to return, which can average $180 CDN at a pharmacy.
For a family of four, that can mean another $720 in travel-related costs.
A trip to a resort in Jamaica requires a rapid test to enter the country. Marques says that can average about $40 CDN per person, and to return, while the exchange rate means it’s a little over $1, the added cost for the PCR tests for a family of four can add another $240.
Flying to the United Kingdom, you’ll need a scheduled test after you land in the country. That can be about $120 per person. When you return to Canada, the PCR test can cost another $170 CDN per person. In all, that could add more than $1,100 to a family's trip.
Marques says with information changing daily, you should always check the Canadian government website.
"That site is fantastic because it goes through all the steps before and when you return about what Canadians need to know when they're travelling abroad," Marques explains.
Dr. Howard Njoo, Canada’s deputy chief public health officer, was asked on Friday why returning travellers still need a negative PCR test, even though the number of positive cases are very low.
"It’s less than one per cent," he says. "But if you look at the volumes of people increasing coming to Canada as a percentage, the actual true number of people coming would obviously be potentially increasing as well."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.