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Traveling to a location with tight Covid testing requirements.


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2021 Mar 3, 11:04am   364 views  16 comments

by Eric Holder   ➕follow (5)   💰tip   ignore  

So I was talked into flying to some tropical island which requires a negative PCR test 72 hours prior to the departure. The results must be printed out, so no "showing some website on a phone" (which is probably a good thing). Given the time and day we depart, the lengths of flights and layovers it looks like the risk of not having the test results on time is not trivial.

I was thinking about making a set of fake test results for the whole family as a last-ditch backup option. I plan to get tested early, receive the papers, scan them and photoshop the necessary date. If I understand it correctly there is no practical way for some official in a foreign country to check the validity of the test results presented to them. Anyone have a recent experience with this test for travel shit?

Especially interested to hear from @WookieMan.

Comments 1 - 16 of 16        Search these comments

1   Ceffer   2021 Mar 3, 1:32pm  

Just show them fake close up pictures of you getting an anal swab. They'll turn away and wave you right through.
2   GlocknLoad   2021 Mar 3, 1:42pm  

Don't go. Do not feed the tyrants. Geesh.
3   Patrick   2021 Mar 3, 8:01pm  

Eric Holder says
I was thinking about making a set of fake test results for the whole family


It's certainly morally the right thing to do in response to the virus fraud.
4   Ceffer   2021 Mar 3, 10:22pm  

Eric Holder says
I was thinking about making a set of fake test results for the whole family as a last-ditch backup option.


If you decide to go into business doing this, let us know.
5   Booger   2021 Mar 4, 3:58am  

Do the right thing and visit Florida instead.
6   joshuatrio   2021 Mar 4, 4:50am  

My coworker just got back from Puerto Rico, where they have a 72 hour test requirement in place as well.

He said it wasn't enforced at all.

All you needed to do was fill out the health advisory form online, get a QR code and you were free. He said they never checked nor asked for a test.
7   zzyzzx   2021 Mar 4, 4:57am  

When I went to NJ last summer, twice, I only had to answer questions on a touch screen.
8   HeadSet   2021 Mar 4, 6:53am  

zzyzzx says
When I went to NJ last summer, twice, I only had to answer questions on a touch screen.

Wonder if that touch screen was disinfected between uses. If not, how ironic.
9   Eric Holder   2021 Mar 8, 8:46am  

Ended up cancelling the whole thing because the destination country has introduced another ridiculous testing requirement: in addition to PCR 72 hours prior to departure they now require an antibody test 4 hours before arrival. The flight is longer than that, so fuck them very much.
10   WookieMan   2021 Mar 8, 9:21am  

GlocknLoad says
Don't go. Do not feed the tyrants. Geesh.

I agree with your sentiment, but travel is fun. We're honestly the test dummies in how far they can take it in my opinion. We saw it with 9/11 and the restriction that came after. I'm not happy about it. It sucks. I got global entry and TSA pre to avoid being molested, but frankly to get through quicker to have a beer.

joshuatrio says
All you needed to do was fill out the health advisory form online, get a QR code and you were free. He said they never checked nor asked for a test.

They weren't that loose in October 2020, but I could see them slacking at this point. It became a bottleneck at the checkpoint and they only had 4-5 guys for the entire airport looking at this shit. It was chaotic to a point and social distancing wasn't a thing.

So I could just see them scanning the QR code for contact tracing. Even if you had Covid and forged documents, I'm not even sure there are legal consequences. It would take a lot of work on their end to prove it and government is lazy when it comes to trivial infractions.

Booger says
Do the right thing and visit Florida instead.

I go in two weeks. Pumped. I can manage, but February was the coldest stretch I've experienced in my life in IL. Not how cold, but the number of day in a row 20*F and under roughly.

Eric Holder says
Ended up cancelling the whole thing because the destination country has introduced another ridiculous testing requirement: in addition to PCR 72 hours prior to departure they now require an antibody test 4 hours before arrival.

Don't know the country you were going to, but yeah, they're starting to do that in a lot of place. BVI's require you to get a not accurate PCR test 72 hours before, stay in a government approved hotel for 4 days (at your cost) and then test negative once you get off the plane (at your cost). Low end you're looking at $1,500 for hotel and testing per person.

US territories are probably the best right now if you're looking to get out. PR and USVI still require tests incoming, but St Thomas didn't ask to see our PCR test and PR did at the time, but you could still get in without it. Mexico didn't require testing but had a big thing up on pole taking temperatures and probably contact tracing through facial recognition. Haven't been to Canada during this, but they have some of the most draconian Covid restriction for travel I've heard of. You basically can't leave the country unless you want to pony up $2k.

This is going to be a cluster fuck for a while now that Biden made people have to have a test to get back in too. You can't just make a "pandemic" go away without fucking with the true narrative of why it was a problem in the first place. USVI's, PR and Mexico have all been solid though and we went in Oct and Nov when it was "spiking" out of control. Domestic airports haven't been an issue, but I've only been through security and on air side out of MDW, STT, SJU, PHX and LAS. All arrivals besides STT and SJU were normal.

We'll see how long this Covid shit sticks around. We're going somewhat chill this year and doing more local stuff in the summer. Camping, float trips, boating in the region. Booked for STT again in October, otherwise it's just Spring Break in FL for now. Travel is doable, but international travel I'd research the hell out of it. Most Mexican resorts offer free testing to get back to the states. My insurance covered our tests to get to PR and STT, but we lied about symptoms and had to take the kids to a pediatrician for their tests and told our kids to lie. So that was a bit fucked up as most drive through places I don't think will do minors. Really didn't want to tell the kids to lie to a doctor, but it is what it is.
11   zzyzzx   2021 Mar 8, 9:34am  

HeadSet says
Wonder if that touch screen was disinfected between uses. If not, how ironic.


Yes, it was cleaned in between patrons.
12   RWSGFY   2021 Mar 8, 9:42am  

WookieMan says
Biden made people have to have a test to get back in too.


LOL, just walk in from Mexico and ask for asylum. Then, after transported inside the country, show then your passport and demand to be released immediately.
13   joshuatrio   2021 Mar 8, 9:59am  

WookieMan says
Booger says
Do the right thing and visit Florida instead.

I go in two weeks. Pumped. I can manage, but February was the coldest stretch I've experienced in my life in IL. Not how cold, but the number of day in a row 20*F and under roughly.


Navarre?

We'll be down in Melbourne early April. Scoping out for potential relocation.
14   RWSGFY   2021 Mar 8, 9:59am  

WookieMan says
I agree with your sentiment, but travel is fun.


It is. And there are plenty of fun places to visit inside the CONUS. All the tropical shitholes wanting $100+ pp for "testing" can kiss my fat hairy American ass.
15   WookieMan   2021 Mar 8, 11:57am  

joshuatrio says
We'll be down in Melbourne early April. Scoping out for potential relocation.

Pensacola Beach. We booked too late and couldn't find any houses that we liked to rent in Navarre. Just doing a condo at Portofino at the far east end of Pensacola beach right by the National Seashore. The bitch is that the bridge to PB I guess is still being repaired from last falls hurricanes. So we have to loop around on 10 to the Garcon Point bridge and go through Navarre. Basically almost a full circle and 50 minutes extra....

Fun part with Pensacola is renting a boat and getting out on the Bay Wednesdays and watching the Blue Angles practice. I don't know if Covid has changed any of that but we did it 3-4 years ago and it was awesome. Pensacola Beach though is getting a bit too touristy and party vibe, but we still have fun.

We love St. George Island east of Mexico Beach area. We went 3 years in a row a couple years back, but the owner sold the house we loved to a full timer. Would have bought it as a vacation rental if we had known. Appalachicola Bay side with dock and lift, inground pool screened in, and cool bar area with outdoor shower. House was built in 2012 I believe, so in great shape and not rented too often. We'd just book it after each stay for the next year. They undercharged us by close to 30%.

No high rises on the island either. State park on the east end. I'd check out Plantation on St. George, but you'll be ridiculed as a yuppie because it's gated... kidding but not really. The locals and long term owners kind of mock it, but it's worth it. Has a runway if you have a plane or plan on ever getting one. Probably 1 to 1-1/2 hour flight direct to island from almost anywhere in GA. I hate driving if my comments have been evidence of that...lol.

Biting insects suck ass on that part of the island though. Bug spray required. Bit of a bitch for us to get to, but depending where in GA you are I cannot imagine it's much more than a 3-5 hour drive. Very low key and chill if that's what you're into. Pretty rural I believe most of the way from Atlanta. When we'd drive we'd go through Alabama and cut through the Southwest section of GA. Banjo music country, but I like it.
16   WookieMan   2021 Mar 8, 12:15pm  

FuckCCP89 says
All the tropical shitholes wanting $100+ pp for "testing" can kiss my fat hairy American ass.

Yeah, getting in to some of them and the quarantine restrictions for a cold are retarded. Besides Canada, BVI's are pretty bad. Most/many people are there to sail and island hop. Kind of hard to do that quarantining in a hotel for 4 days out of pocket and have to get tested coming in and now out to get back home. Feel bad for the locals, at least the hard working ones.

Wanted to charter a catamaran (or 2, 3, 4...) for my wife's 40th in 2022 with a big group of people in the BVI's. Everyone pays their way, but it would be a blast with 20 or so of us. Our group is legendary in St. Thomas for our 2019 trip down there on power boats.... We got shit faced(we're polite drinkers, maybe loud) out on the water and hot sun, bar hoping and snorkeling. We ended up with the captain's license and passport somehow.

It's rough down there if you're not used to it, but if you know where to go, can drive on the other side of the road (feel comfortable), it's amazing. October was awesome because there were no cruise ships. Magan's Bay was a ghost town. Everything was a ghost town. Family in tow so minimal shenanigans last year.

Where do you CA guys go? Caribbean would be a haul I'd think for you guys. Baja Mexico I'm sure is pretty similar to Socal so just go there I guess? My Dad's cousin was big into Hawaii. Goes there at least once a year. I want to go, but that is a mother fucker from Chicago. That's a 10 day trip minimum due to the 4-5 hour time change for us.

Sorry for the novels. I like travel and like talking about it. Always interested to hear of new locations.

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