COVID-19 Coronavirus UPDATES, BANS, CLOSURES, ADVISORY, etc.

[Boyd Brooks]

Took a pcr test yesterday at Embry labs got results this morning. Took a second test this morning at Walgreens just in case we run into troubles. Traveling back to Canada tomorrow. Today’s test buys us another 24 hours, as the test has to be within 72 hours of crossing the border. That time is from the taking of the test, not getting the results.

 

[Dennis Bryant]

Turn around time in the US can vary but prior to our trip to South Africa we had our results back in 24 hours. Less people are being tested these days so turn around times are much quicker. The 72 hours applies to the time your depart on your trip and is good for the duration of the trip to your destination. KLM required testing 72 hours prior to arrival in Amsterdam so that does change things somewhat, but KLM had cancelled all flights in and out of South Africa while we were there (return to US on 4/23) and we ended up on Qatar Air, which required the 72 hour prior to departure test. Not sure if KLM is flying there again. Our hotel in Cape Town made our reservations for testing prior to our return flight back to the US and they came to our room and we had results back in 12 hours. Cost was approximately $100 each. Hope this helps.

 

[Edster]

Please advise the turnaround time for a PCR test in the US. Also please advise if the 72 hour requirement for the test, prior to your flight, is from the date of the test or the date receipt. And finally, due to the number of stops and the length of the flights from the US to RSA what happens if the 72 hours expires midtrip?

Thanks for any information you can provide.

The 72 hours for South Africa is prior departure date. When we got to Doha my buddy had misplaced his boarding pass. When they were reissuing it they wanted to see the Covid test. At first they were saying that the test was too old, until I pointed out that we were mid transit and SA requires test results prior to original departure. The woman called over a supervisor and she was in agreement with what my understanding was.

 

[KKovar]

Thanks for the replies and clarification.

 

[Boyd Brooks]

Left AZ yesterday and flew to Detroit, like a time machine going back to last April! Businesses with take out or curb side pickup only.
Then drove across the border with 2 negative PCR tests and fully vaccinated to Commianada! The border security were rude and condescending while explaining our 2 week house arrest. They then search our belongings like they had no concern about covid only to send us for another covid test before we could continue. We also received a test kit that we have to take on day 8 of house arrest witnesses by some health professional via zoom and send to health Canada. Have to check in to the arrive can app every day and answer questions, plus will get random visits from the Covid police to make we are obeying house arrest.
Fully vaccinated and still treated like a pariah on society! Hopefully the f*cking insanity stops soon!
Sorry for the rant!

 

[Cam Moon]

Boyd, I don't blame you for ranting. I have a hard time seeing the benefit of some of this crap.
Trudope is already talking about making vaccines mandatory for anyone to travel out of the country. I don't understand the benefit of that. Maybe someone else can explain it to me?

 

[Arctic97]

Just returned from 12 days in SA, hunting outside of Port Elizabeth with KMG Safaris and sight-seeing in the Cape Town area. It was a wonderful trip to Cape Town as there were no crowds. Restaurants were not busy and hotels were limiting their capacity. Tourist were a rare sight and we were welcomed wherever we went. If you have plans to go I strongly suggest you keep them. You may have to fly Qatar Air or Emirates to get there, but well worth it. The hotel in Cape Town, Victoria & Alfred, made arrangements for our Covid PCR tests to come home, cost was $100 each. The doctor came to our room and it was not a big deal. If you have questions please let me know.

I am about to book airline tickets to do this same thing for a couple of weeks with my daughter in late July. I was wondering how hard it would be to get a test before we return, so this is good information. How long after you had that test did you have the results? That is the real question, as we all know that things move at a much slower pace in Africa. I am just wondering so I have an idea of how soon before our departure to get a test. I think we are going to buy 2 one-way tickets. We will fly into JNB, as we are hunting for a few days outside of Durban and then moving over to the Eastern Cape for a few days. After which we will do a car hire out of Port Elizabeth for a week and leave out of CPT.

 

[spike.t]

Left AZ yesterday and flew to Detroit, like a time machine going back to last April! Businesses with take out or curb side pickup only.
Then drove across the border with 2 negative PCR tests and fully vaccinated to Commianada! The border security were rude and condescending while explaining our 2 week house arrest. They then search our belongings like they had no concern about covid only to send us for another covid test before we could continue. We also received a test kit that we have to take on day 8 of house arrest witnesses by some health professional via zoom and send to health Canada. Have to check in to the arrive can app every day and answer questions, plus will get random visits from the Covid police to make we are obeying house arrest.
Fully vaccinated and still treated like a pariah on society! Hopefully the f*cking insanity stops soon!
Sorry for the rant!

Wow wish I could put video of me and louise out week ago in lusaka...bar/restaurants full of people partying and then to the nightclub later...totally heaving with people having great time....definitely no social distancing or masks.....been like that for long time .....

Usd 500.000 investment here and you get investors permit allowing you to live here...then think 3 years later as long as investment checked you eligible for resident permit....better than those countries you prisoners in.....

 

[Boyd Brooks]

Wow wish I could put video of me and louise out week ago in lusaka...bar/restaurants full of people partying and then to the nightclub later...totally heaving with people having great time....definitely no social distancing or masks.....been like that for long time .....

Usd 500.000 investment here and you get investors permit allowing you to live here...then think 3 years later as long as investment checked you eligible for resident permit....better than those countries you prisoners in.....

AZ was pretty much back to normal as well. Bars, restaurants, golf, shopping and so on. Unfortunately we can only stay in USA for 6 months at a time in a rolling 12 month period, or I’d still be there.
Don’t think I could get my wife to move to Zambia any time soon or I would be looking into it.
Thanks for giving me hope that there is refuge if I really get tired of the shit going on here.

 

[spike.t]

AZ was pretty much back to normal as well. Bars, restaurants, golf, shopping and so on. Unfortunately we can only stay in USA for 6 months at a time in a rolling 12 month period, or I’d still be there.
Don’t think I could get my wife to move to Zambia any time soon or I would be looking into it.
Thanks for giving me hope that there is refuge if I really get tired of the shit going on here.

Apart from usual businesses having to close at beginning of the Chinese fkup for bout a month and bars clubs for bit longer life had been basically normal here ..never had a lockdown...think only in couple of localised areas but that was it...never not been able to visit where we want in the country....early to open up to hunters coming in...great place...people are friendly.....one of the few thing that pisses me off is the chinese pillaging the people and country commercially and of it's natural mineral etc assets

 

[Edster]

I am about to book airline tickets to do this same thing for a couple of weeks with my daughter in late July. I was wondering how hard it would be to get a test before we return, so this is good information. How long after you had that test did you have the results? That is the real question, as we all know that things move at a much slower pace in Africa. I am just wondering so I have an idea of how soon before our departure to get a test. I think we are going to buy 2 one-way tickets. We will fly into JNB, as we are hunting for a few days outside of Durban and then moving over to the Eastern Cape for a few days. After which we will do a car hire out of Port Elizabeth for a week and leave out of CPT.

Did my test in Polokawane on a Saturday morning around 9am. Results were in my email at 9pm that night.

 

[MarkB]

Wow wish I could put video of me and louise out week ago in lusaka...bar/restaurants full of people partying and then to the nightclub later...totally heaving with people having great time....definitely no social distancing or masks.....been like that for long time .....

Usd 500.000 investment here and you get investors permit allowing you to live here...then think 3 years later as long as investment checked you eligible for resident permit....better than those countries you prisoners in.....

spike.t: You keep putting up posts like above and you could have a Canadian under dictatorship living very close. I have stated before for the first time in my 45 years as a Canadian and 33 in military I am embarrassed to say I am Canadian. Canada's dictator is a total a-hole. I see your posts on here and often think, moose and bears exchanged annually for sable, kudu, impala? OMG not an easy decision, Trudope continues his ways and wins another 4 years and Zambia will look way better.

Boyd, I don't blame you for ranting. I have a hard time seeing the benefit of some of this crap.
Trudope is already talking about making vaccines mandatory for anyone to travel out of the country. I don't understand the benefit of that. Maybe someone else can explain it to me?

Its another way our dictator can exert total control. He has an issue, anyone who go's against him is fired, replaced or "punished". He must have control.

MB

 

[JimT]

Covid testing is a huge source of frustration and anxiety for me. I leave next Tuesday the 18th for my first safari to South Africa. As y'all know SA requires the PCR test within 72 hours. Every lab CVS, Walgreens, Dr office, etc. within 100 miles of my home in Louisiana tell me the results take 5 days to arrive. Yes... outside the 72 hours !! To make a very long frustrating story full of phone calls, testy conversations, and maybe a blue cloud or two it looked like my trip wouldn't happen , for the second time, I might add since the original Covid shutdown caused me to cancel last August. So I found a lab in Houston that says they can get my results by midnight of the day of the test is I test before noon that day. Now I must drive 3 hours each way to get the test on Sunday so I can leave on Tuesday. Hopefully....I will let y'all know how it goes. To return to the US from SA requires only the antigen test with a turnaround of a few hours and most hunter centered lodges and outfitters can help you with this.... Wish me luck

 

[shootist~]

Recent hunt reports show Covid Consultants (via overnight Fedex) being used. There is a very good chance I'll use them as well as a local location that does expedited PCR tests. In for a penny...

 

[Edster]

Recent hunt reports show Covid Consultants (via overnight Fedex) being used. There is a very good chance I'll use them as well as a local location that does expedited PCR tests. In for a penny...

I used Covid Consultants. Pricey but they had sample by 9am next day and I had results by 6am the following morning.
Make sure when you get results you email back that you need Dr signature and they will add it to the results as well

 

[spike.t]

Fkn hell another excuse to contain people.....

BBC News - Indian Covid variant: How much faster does it spread?

Indian Covid variant: How much faster does it spread?

With some scientists suggesting it could spread 50% faster, England's easing of rules is in jeopardy.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[spike.t]

So with one of the leading vaccination programmes in the world , and as I said above it seems governments are looking for any excuse to keep people from having their freedom back....same reasons etc etc etc....unbelievable yet again ....wait for the demonstrations and rioting if they go back on anything.....

BBC News - Covid-19: Variant fears could delay England's 21 June easing review

Covid-19: Variant fears could delay England's 21 June easing review

Ministers are hoping to update people ahead of the planned lifting of limits on social contact.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Trogon]

Covid testing is a huge source of frustration and anxiety for me. I leave next Tuesday the 18th for my first safari to South Africa. As y'all know SA requires the PCR test within 72 hours. Every lab CVS, Walgreens, Dr office, etc. within 100 miles of my home in Louisiana tell me the results take 5 days to arrive. Yes... outside the 72 hours !! To make a very long frustrating story full of phone calls, testy conversations, and maybe a blue cloud or two it looked like my trip wouldn't happen , for the second time, I might add since the original Covid shutdown caused me to cancel last August. So I found a lab in Houston that says they can get my results by midnight of the day of the test is I test before noon that day. Now I must drive 3 hours each way to get the test on Sunday so I can leave on Tuesday. Hopefully....I will let y'all know how it goes. To return to the US from SA requires only the antigen test with a turnaround of a few hours and most hunter centered lodges and outfitters can help you with this.... Wish me luck

Home | 24HourCovid

www.24hourcovid.com

@JimT, looks like this lab also has a Baton Rouge facility, wasn't sure where you are in Louisiana, if this is closer for you (24 hour RT-PCR results). Surprised there aren't more facilities available. I have a couple near me in Cincinnati, they promise 30 minute test results (and they met that for me). Hope this helps.

 

[Hogpatrol]

$900 for the test is legal robbery.
I paid$200 and had the results in three hours

Home | 24HourCovid

www.24hourcovid.com

@JimT, looks like this lab also has a Baton Rouge facility, wasn't sure where you are in Louisiana, if this is closer for you (24 hour RT-PCR results). Surprised there aren't more facilities available. I have a couple near me in Cincinnati, they promise 30 minute test results (and they met that for me). Hope this helps.

 

[Trogon]

$900 for the test is legal robbery.
I paid$200 and had the results in three hours

@Hogpatrol, I would agree. I did not look at their costs. I paid around $200 for my test before my flight and had my results in under 30 minutes. That number seems to be sort of the standard cost.