Canada’s Covid travel rule puts pressure on Jamaica

There has been a mad rush by travellers to medical labs on the island to determine their covid19 status after the Canadian government made it mandatory for persons entering its borders to provide a negative covid19 test result in order to gain entry into the country.
This new rule comes into effect January 7, 2021 with airlines and Maritime authorities notified on December 31, 2020. The move by Ottawa see them joining other countries like Jamaica to make it mandatory for persons entering its ports of entry to provide a negative covid19 result done within 72 hours to boarding flights en route to the North America nation.

However, the challenge for many persons, slated to depart Jamaica for Canada during the first week of the year, is the timing of its implementation.

An already overwhelmed health system will likely undergo further pressure, as only three medical laboratories in Jamaica offer Covid19 PCR testing to the general public at the moment - Microlabs, Caribbean Genetics and the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI). 

Within minutes of being notified by their travel agents appointment dates for Covid19 PCR test at these specific labs are no longer available for the first week.

At the time of writing, January 13 is the earliest date available at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI), while Microlabs, with branches in Cross Roads, Kingston and Montego Bay, St James, can accommodate earlier appointments at only its Montego Bay branch. Turnaround time at all labs is 24-48 hours, with clients receiving their status via email.

While UHWI says testing are done six days per week at a cost of $18,500, Mircolabs which handles appointments for Caribbean Genetics as well, accepts sample collections only three days per week - Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at a cost of $20,000.

Calls are sure to increase for Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton to increase the number of laboratories to perform Covid19 PCR testing as the implications will also likely affect an already struggling tourism sector.

Mahalia Watson, director, Global Laboratories and Health Services based here in Old Harbour, said her company twice wrote to the health ministry to ascertain how they could become part of the pool of local labs authorize to facilitate PCR testing for  Covid19.

“I sent them two emails seeking information about how Global Laboratories and Health Services can become a specimen collection site with respect to the matter and we are yet to get any response from the Ministry of Health,” Watson told Old Harbour News. 

In countries like the US and Canada, samples for PCR testing are facilitated at even pharmacies, with persons knowing their status within 48 hours the most.

In Canada the Justin Trudeau-led government has been facing immediate backlash in some quarters, causing its Transportation Minister Marc Garneau to clarify the newly imposed Covid travel rules. According to Garneau, travellers from overseas will now have two options: get tested in the country they are staying or mandatory quarantine at a government facility if there is a lack of testing in the jurisdiction where they are coming from.

That message seemingly hasn’t been communicated officially to the airlines, though. A WestJet Airline representative told Old Harbour News on Monday that passengers without a negative Covid PCR test result are prohibited from boarding its flights. The airline rep said the government’s new rule is “cast in stone”.

In a statement posted on its website, Air Canada said: “Please note that we do not control these directives and that details are subject to change. We recommend you visit travel.gc.ca for official updates from the Government of Canada.”

“I paid over CAN$400 to get my PCR test done before coming here and now I will have to pay $20,000 which is CAN$200 to do another test in order to go back up, that’s over CAN$600 when you do the math,” one Jamaican, who requested that their identity remains private, lamented to Old Harbour News.

“The cost is the least of my concerns though,” added the Canadian resident. “I have no other option but to reschedule my flight because there are no dates (appointment) available for me to get a test done in time for me to board my flight on Friday, which is the 8 January.

“My travel agent contacted me on New Year’s Eve, the 31 December. It took me several days to find out which labs in Jamaica I can go to get a PCR test done.

“This is a major setback for me, as I have my business to run in Canada. Thousands of people will be leaving here to go to Canada… and having only three labs for them to go and get a Covid test done will not work. It’s gonna put too much pressure on the system.”

Old Harbour News was unable to get a response in time from the Ministry of Health and Wellness and the Ministry of Tourism on the matter.