Travelling to Minnesota and COVID-19 tests

My trip back to Minnesota was great. I worked remotely and started each workday at 7 am. It was great ending my workday at 3:30 pm. It allowed me to be a tourist.

I may need to write a how-to for Canadians travelling to the States. I needed to get an antigen COVID-19 test to fly into the States. It had to be administered within 72 hours of my departing the country. I got a check-in counter guy at the airport who said that it was 24 hours. He was wrong after consulting with a colleague.

With the recent changes by the US administration, this check-in counter guy is now correct. It's now 24 hours. It means that for my next trip, I'm taking my antigen test hours before I board my flight. It all works out fine. I have booked my appointment.

To get into Canada, I need to do a PCR or molecular COVID-19 test 72 hours before boarding my flight in the US heading back home. I actually did a NAAT test at a local CVS pharmacy. I got to self-administer the test at the drive-thru and drop my swab in a tube in a special box. I got my results in just over a day. It was also free. Had I done a PCR test at the airport, it would have cost me $200 USD.

I am glad that everything worked out. I fly again in over a week, so I'm more comfortable now with the experience that I have gained.

Antigen and PCR COVID-19 tests

I am a researcher. I have been researching COVID-19 tests in my area and in Minnesota.

Here's the weird thing. To get over the border and enter the US, Canadians need an antigen test. A test starts at $40, which isn't horrible.

When coming back to Canada, an antigen test is not accepted. Instead, a PCR test is required. The cheapest price that I have seen to get this test done is $199 USD at MSP airport, which is where I'm flying in and out of.

It's not cheap. I am glad that I am staying for over a week at the end of this month to take in two hockey games. Before this pandemic, I would have made two separate trips. If I did the same thing now, just these two PCR tests would cost me the price of a round-trip flight to the Twin Cities. Yikes!

I am hoping that, down the road, PCR tests won't be required. Either Canada will accept an antigen test or possibly drop the test for those who are fully vaccinated.