Possible to get a rapid test in Detroit or Port Huron?

[Russ Lomas]

Someone is supposed to drive us to the Detroit airport for our flight next week for our upcoming cruise.  We would have hoped that not only the stupid requirement for a PCR test to return to Canada would be gone by then, as well as the current need for a rapid test.  Back in November, trips less than 72 hours in length required no testing to return to Canada.

 

I thought we would just be able to pay $20-$40 for a rapid test in Michigan that our friend could use to re-enter Canada (totally stupid that someone who drives across the border and never gets out of his vehicle before driving back into Canada must have a Covid test done in the US to return home - but hey, that is our Federal government).  I cannot find anywhere in Port Huron or Michigan to get one of the tests done cheap and quick like in Canada.  Down in the states they only seem to offer "free" PCR tests everywhere, but we do not want our friend to have to kill a day or 2 waiting for the results.  

 

I was expecting the travel rules to go back to nothing required for 72 hour visits but that has not been announced yet, so I am trying to figure out if we can find somewhere to get a quick cheap test done to return to Canada?  You would think border state pharmacies would have filled this void for the Canadians wanting to come to the US and then get a quick test done to go home, but I cannot seem to find this.

 

I do have other backup plans in mind, but having the friend drive us is our preferred method if we can figure it out.

[avs88]

Hello,

There is a Walgreens in Port Huron that provides the Rapid Diagnostic Test which is allowed for re-entry back in to Canada.  It says results in less that 24 hrs....we used it 2 weeks ago & got results in 45 minutes.  That may be an option.

[Magicat]

I had a couple of engineers there that had to get tests done to return to Canada.  I think they did them in Chesterfield which is between the airport and Port Huron.  I'll see if I can get more information on that.

[broberts]

3 hours ago, Russ Lomas said:

Someone is supposed to drive us to the Detroit airport for our flight next week for our upcoming cruise.  We would have hoped that not only the stupid requirement for a PCR test to return to Canada would be gone by then, as well as the current need for a rapid test.  Back in November, trips less than 72 hours in length required no testing to return to Canada.

 

I thought we would just be able to pay $20-$40 for a rapid test in Michigan that our friend could use to re-enter Canada (totally stupid that someone who drives across the border and never gets out of his vehicle before driving back into Canada must have a Covid test done in the US to return home - but hey, that is our Federal government).  I cannot find anywhere in Port Huron or Michigan to get one of the tests done cheap and quick like in Canada.  Down in the states they only seem to offer "free" PCR tests everywhere, but we do not want our friend to have to kill a day or 2 waiting for the results.  

 

I was expecting the travel rules to go back to nothing required for 72 hour visits but that has not been announced yet, so I am trying to figure out if we can find somewhere to get a quick cheap test done to return to Canada?  You would think border state pharmacies would have filled this void for the Canadians wanting to come to the US and then get a quick test done to go home, but I cannot seem to find this.

 

I do have other backup plans in mind, but having the friend drive us is our preferred method if we can figure it out.

 

Calling people stupid because one doesn't get their own way is childish.

[denby]

There was an article in CTV news last week that said Rapid Antigen Tests would be available at the Duty Free between Detroit and Windsor.

 

[Russ Lomas]

16 hours ago, avs88 said:

Hello,

There is a Walgreens in Port Huron that provides the Rapid Diagnostic Test which is allowed for re-entry back in to Canada.  It says results in less that 24 hrs....we used it 2 weeks ago & got results in 45 minutes.  That may be an option.

Thanks for replying.  I had already found that information myself, but that test is still the rapid PCR test, and the results in less than 24 hours could still mean 23 hours, which is a long time for our driver to sit in his vehicle to wait for the results to drive back home.  I would hope the results would come quickly (like the one in light blue listed below the one with the red dot) where our driver could re-enter Canada an hour later without having to wait.  Thanks again for replying.

 

13 hours ago, broberts said:

 

Calling people stupid because one doesn't get their own way is childish.

Not calling the person stupid, the policy made by the government is stupid.  I reserve the right to my opinion and to state it publicly.  I am not driving to Ottawa to protest and honk my horn 24 hours per day for several weeks, but I am permitted my opinion on governmental policies.

[A&L_Ont]

Russ, instead of having a driver take you would a private shuttle with Robert Q work?  Let them do the testing for their driver?  I’m not even sure if they are crossing the border or not.
 

At that rate would just paying for parking might be cheaper in the long run. 🤷‍♂️

[Russ Lomas]

19 minutes ago, A&L_Ont said:

Russ, instead of having a driver take you would a private shuttle with Robert Q work?  Let them do the testing for their driver?  I’m not even sure if they are crossing the border or not.
 

At that rate would just paying for parking might be cheaper in the long run. 🤷‍♂️

Thanks, Andrew, for the response.  I read you cancelled your March cruise for this year, so you will not run into these headaches.  Looking forward to seeing you March 2023 on the Oasis.

 

Robert Q wants over $700 for 4 people (we have 6, and they want more for the extra 2 people).

 

Our driver wants $120, so the cost of a test in the US for him for us to pay is well worth the expense on our part, we just do not know if that is attainable in a reasonable time frame for him to get his results and come back to Canada an hour after crossing the border.

 

We fly from DTW, but are flying back into Toronto (and getting picked up by our driver there when coming home).  Much better cost and convenient flight times.  This is the first time we will not have left and returned to the same airport.  My backup plan we are talking about now is that we drive our vehicle to the US and park it at DTW, and then we have others cruising with us who will be driving through Detroit on the Monday (a day later) and they can stop there, pick up our vehicle, and drive it back to London for us).  We just need a notarized letter permitting the vehicle to cross the border without the owner present in case they think the vehicle is stolen.

 

Won't it be nice when all these restrictions for crossing the border are back to what they used to be?  Hopefully, by March 2023, if not well before then.

[Fouremco]

59 minutes ago, Russ Lomas said:

Not calling the person stupid, the policy made by the government is stupid. 

While I don't agree with every aspect of the GOC's COVID policies either, I believe that if you look at the statistics, Canadians have fared very well because of them. Consider the fact that the US has had 241,875 cases per million, while Canada has had only 86,448 per million, slightly more than a third of our southern neighbours. https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries

 

I doubt that we would have achieved such a remarkable difference if our policies were in fact stupid. Certainly frustrating at times, no denying that, as we've worked with them over the past couple of years, but definitely not stupid IMO. 

[broberts]

1 hour ago, Russ Lomas said:

Not calling the person stupid, the policy made by the government is stupid.  I reserve the right to my opinion and to state it publicly.  I am not driving to Ottawa to protest and honk my horn 24 hours per day for several weeks, but I am permitted my opinion on governmental policies.

 

Doesn't make the expression of that opinion any less childish . . . in my opinion.

 

 

 

[A&L_Ont]

1 hour ago, Russ Lomas said:

We fly from DTW, but are flying back into Toronto (and getting picked up by our driver there when coming home).  Much better cost and convenient flight times.  This is the first time we will not have left and returned to the same airport.  My backup plan we are talking about now is that we drive our vehicle to the US and park it at DTW, and then we have others cruising with us who will be driving through Detroit on the Monday (a day later) and they can stop there, pick up our vehicle, and drive it back to London for us).  We just need a notarized letter permitting the vehicle to cross the border without the owner present in case they think the vehicle is stolen.

 

In reading the above, one might consider using Robert Q to get to Detroit and your other driver as the person to get you home from Toronto. At least with the Robert Q shuttle, you do not have to worry about what happens if their driver if they test positive.

 

However, what happens if your friend does? They are stuck in the states and not able to get home, let alone get you in Toronto to take you back to London.  It does seem like you have a longer cruise booked, but who covers their hotel quarantine costs if needed. They could be negative crossing one way and positive by the time they test to come home a few hours later.  Stranger things have happened. 

 

As for the added costs of paying for parking in Detroit as well as a notarized letter, to leaving your car in Detroit, it will add up. Will it be more than Robert Q?  Probably not, but there might be an advantage to leaving you car at home VS letting someone else drive it back. I also think about liability issues etc if something happened on their trip home in your car. 

 

Just a few things to think about as you try to figure this out. Nothing regarding travel is easy anymore, but hopefully it will become easier sooner than later.

 

 

[Russ Lomas]

1 hour ago, A&L_Ont said:

 

In reading the above, one might consider using Robert Q to get to Detroit and your other driver as the person to get you home from Toronto. At least with the Robert Q shuttle, you do not have to worry about what happens if their driver if they test positive.

 

However, what happens if your friend does? They are stuck in the states and not able to get home, let alone get you in Toronto to take you back to London.  It does seem like you have a longer cruise booked, but who covers their hotel quarantine costs if needed. They could be negative crossing one way and positive by the time they test to come home a few hours later.  Stranger things have happened. 

 

As for the added costs of paying for parking in Detroit as well as a notarized letter, to leaving your car in Detroit, it will add up. Will it be more than Robert Q?  Probably not, but there might be an advantage to leaving you car at home VS letting someone else drive it back. I also think about liability issues etc if something happened on their trip home in your car. 

 

Just a few things to think about as you try to figure this out. Nothing regarding travel is easy anymore, but hopefully it will become easier sooner than later.

 

 

We have been discussing these options on and off throughout the day.  You bring up many good points that we were also concerned by for our friend who would have to test in the US.

 

Almost certain that we are going to leave our vehicle at one of the hotel lots in Detroit (we actually have 2 other family vehicles already doing that drive at the same time going and parking in the same lot, so this will just make it 3 vehicles in our mini convoy).  The cost of parking in Detroit is the same I was going to pay my buddy to drive us.  Notarizing a letter is free since there are so many people we know who are eligible to do it for us.

 

I hope this becomes easier for everyone sooner than later as well.  I hope your next cruise Andrew is before the March 2023 one.  Your signature says your next muster is October 2020.  Until our paths cross again, take care.

[A&L_Ont]

Russ, check out these links. I just found them and shared them with a mom from Owen’s hockey team. She has to drop her daughter off this Thursday morning at the airport in Detroit and come home.  Same situation as your driver. 
 

News article about Covid testing, on the US side at the Ambassador Bridge duty free location. 
 

https://windsor.ctvnews.ca/ambassador-duty-free-to-offer-rapid-antigen-tests-1.5784430
 

They have a company doing rapid testing 7 days a week from 10am to 7:50 pm daily. They have 15 slots every 10 minutes all day long. Cost is $45 (US funds) and results in 15 minutes. 
 

A link to the booking site is below, or they have walk in availability as well. I’d be booking in advance. They have to book for Ambassadors Bridge location.  They can get gas and a test practically at the same time. 
 

https://worldwideclinicallabz.com/Schedule-test/

[Russ Lomas]

5 hours ago, A&L_Ont said:

Russ, check out these links. I just found them and shared them with a mom from Owen’s hockey team. She has to drop her daughter off this Thursday morning at the airport in Detroit and come home.  Same situation as your driver. 
 

News article about Covid testing, on the US side at the Ambassador Bridge duty free location. 
 

https://windsor.ctvnews.ca/ambassador-duty-free-to-offer-rapid-antigen-tests-1.5784430
 

They have a company doing rapid testing 7 days a week from 10am to 7:50 pm daily. They have 15 slots every 10 minutes all day long. Cost is $45 (US funds) and results in 15 minutes. 
 

A link to the booking site is below, or they have walk in availability as well. I’d be booking in advance. They have to book for Ambassadors Bridge location.  They can get gas and a test practically at the same time. 
 

https://worldwideclinicallabz.com/Schedule-test/

Great find Andrew.  Thanks for sharing this with myself and everyone else who is reading this thread.  I talked to my friend last night, and we mutually decided that we are going to drive our own vehicle to DTW, park it there and then have a relative drive it back to London when they drive through Detroit the day after we disembark the Odyssey.

 

I checked out the booking link you provided above, and it seems like a great idea, and I am sure it will be a successful moneymaker for the operator and provide a much-needed service for travellers.  We just decided that there is a minute chance that my buddy may test positive (however unlikely that should be) and he would then be faced with the $5000 fine to reenter Canada or have to stay in the US for 11 days.  Just not worth the risk for him.

[Welly9]

3 hours ago, Russ Lomas said:

Great find Andrew.  Thanks for sharing this with myself and everyone else who is reading this thread.  I talked to my friend last night, and we mutually decided that we are going to drive our own vehicle to DTW, park it there and then have a relative drive it back to London when they drive through Detroit the day after we disembark the Odyssey.

 

I checked out the booking link you provided above, and it seems like a great idea, and I am sure it will be a successful moneymaker for the operator and provide a much-needed service for travellers.  We just decided that there is a minute chance that my buddy may test positive (however unlikely that should be) and he would then be faced with the $5000 fine to reenter Canada or have to stay in the US for 11 days.  Just not worth the risk for him.

Just curious - I heard a while back, and need to confirm and havent, that if you drive across (your driver) and doesn't leave the vehicle, can drop off and come back, show his Antigen Test that they get here if needed as back up, just in case, although you dont need it to enter the US if Vaxxed. 

 

BTW we did the Odyssey early Dec and you will absolutely love this ship! Back on the Ody in May in Rome.

[Russ Lomas]

39 minutes ago, Welly9 said:

Just curious - I heard a while back, and need to confirm and havent, that if you drive across (your driver) and doesn't leave the vehicle, can drop off and come back, show his Antigen Test that they get here if needed as back up, just in case, although you dont need it to enter the US if Vaxxed. 

 

BTW we did the Odyssey early Dec and you will absolutely love this ship! Back on the Ody in May in Rome.

We were on the Odyssey back in August (great ship, and we cannot wait to be back on her 7 days from today).  There were only 970 passengers on board back then, so I am sure it will be a wee bit more crowded this time around.  The ship was so great that we cannot wait to sail on her again (so I know how you feel about your upcoming trip in May).

 

In August, we flew back to Detroit and I hired a driving company to take us across the border.  They are permitted to do this like you said if they do not exit the vehicle, and they return immediately after the drop-off.  They must have a chauffeur licence to do this, however, which our driver did.  You cannot have any Joe Blow off the street drive you over (like our buddy) without obtaining a test IN the US to return home.  The issue is that companies that are doing the one-hour (maximum) drive from DTW to Windsor and back across the border are charging $350+ overall, which is extortion and really working the system the Canadian government has put in place that only benefits people operating transportation systems like this or conducting tests in the US at the border for handsome sums of cash.

[A&L_Ont]

13 hours ago, Welly9 said:

Just curious - I heard a while back, and need to confirm and havent, that if you drive across (your driver) and doesn't leave the vehicle, can drop off and come back, show his Antigen Test that they get here if needed as back up, just in case, although you dont need it to enter the US if Vaxxed. 

I’ve never heard of this.  That being said, I personally wouldn’t see it working. The honest individuals that didn’t stop anywhere would be tarnished by those that did. There are those that would honestly go to the airport and straight back home with no stops. Then there are the others who’s first enticement right now would be to is stop for gas that’s almost half the price, then some takeout food etc, before they come “straight” home with no stops. 
 

I work in a “field” to which the public’s honesty is imperative to our clients.  My faith in humanity has been severely tarnished by the actions some have taken during the pandemic. From simple misunderstandings, to outfaced bolden lies. I didn’t have any faith on someone attesting to their actions before the pandemic, and it’s only gone down hill the last two years.
 

That’s why I couldn’t see a policy working like the one you noted above, at least for the general public with no personal ramifications. 

Edited March 6, 2022 by A&L_Ont

[A&L_Ont]

12 hours ago, Russ Lomas said:

In August, we flew back to Detroit and I hired a driving company to take us across the border.  They are permitted to do this like you said if they do not exit the vehicle, and they return immediately after the drop-off.  They must have a chauffeur licence to do this, however, which our driver did.  You cannot have any Joe Blow off the street drive you over (like our buddy) without obtaining a test IN the US to return home.

 

I can easily see it working the way you described above. These are professional drivers, who would lose their livelihood if they didn’t follow the rules. In essence you were human cargo, and were delivered “just in time”.  They returned to their distribution plant when they were done, waiting on another load to be delivered.

 

We saw the hockey teammate’s mom at a game last night. She has here return appointment booked for 10am at the Ambassador Bridge on Thursday. I’ll report back to how it went for her. I also mentioned that she should keep a few local Detroit tests spots saved on her phone for just in case purposes.  

 

 

Edited March 6, 2022 by A&L_Ont

[Russ Lomas]

2 hours ago, A&L_Ont said:

 

I can easily see it working the way you described above. These are professional drivers, who would lose their livelihood if they didn’t follow the rules. In essence you were human cargo, and were delivered “just in time”.  They returned to their distribution plant when they were done, waiting on another load to be delivered.

 

We saw the hockey teammate’s mom at a game last night. She has here return appointment booked for 10am at the Ambassador Bridge on Thursday. I’ll report back to how it went for her. I also mentioned that she should keep a few local Detroit tests spots saved on her phone for just in case purposes.  

Our driver back into Canada last August was asked if he was stopping anywhere other than dropping us off.  He answered that he may stop to pick up a few "sweets" to take home.  He was pulled into secondary screening for providing the wrong answer (should have said NO), and we were permitted to walk to McDonald (about 100 m away) to meet our buddy picking us up while the driver was interrogated.  I think he learned better what to say next time he crossed the border.

 

Please do let me know how it goes for the mom you know who will be testing at the Ambassador Bridge.  We have family and friends on this cruise (some of whom you met previously on the Oasis) driving home and expecting to cross the border on Monday the 21st.  Testing there may be an option they seek out on the off chance any of them test positive upon disembarkation testing.

[A&L_Ont]

36 minutes ago, Russ Lomas said:

Please do let me know how it goes for the mom you know who will be testing at the Ambassador Bridge.  We have family and friends on this cruise (some of whom you met previously on the Oasis) driving home and expecting to cross the border on Monday the 21st.  Testing there may be an option they seek out on the off chance any of them test positive upon disembarkation testing.

We shall see her today, at another game, and I’ll ask her to let us know on Thursday how it went. I’ll post back here once I know. Any viable alternatives are a great idea for return testing. 

Edited March 6, 2022 by A&L_Ont

[Russ Lomas]

5 hours ago, A&L_Ont said:

We shall see her today, at another game, and I’ll ask her to let us know on Thursday how it went. I’ll post back here once I know. Any viable alternatives are a great idea for return testing. 

Thanks.  We are cheering for Owen's team

[Welly9]

AHH yes that's what it was, a chauffeur driven vehicle. But with cases - Hospital and testing on its way down, the Libs who set these rules need to relax the border rules now. Especially these shorter day trips to 72 hr trips.

 

I think we were about 50% capacity at the beginning of Dec. The Cruise Director is from London, Ont I wish I could remember his name... he recognized my last name and remembered my son playing for the Knights. That was Dec so he mentioned he was trying to go to the Wonder OTS on his next contract.

[A&L_Ont]

12 minutes ago, Welly9 said:

I think we were about 50% capacity at the beginning of Dec. The Cruise Director is from London, Ont I wish I could remember his name... he recognized my last name and remembered my son playing for the Knights. That was Dec so he mentioned he was trying to go to the Wonder OTS on his next contract.

Mitch is the CD’s name.  He spent some time with our family at the flowrider, as his girlfriend was on the wave with us at the same time. He’s from London just like Russ, you and me. 
 

We didn’t make it to the Knights game Friday (seasons ticket holder since 2004) because our son was playing in Lucan VS Wallaceburg. The season is soon to wrap up with one more round of games.  Kinda looking forward to it this year, as the drama of some teenaged boys is enough for me. Our son actually had 30 minutes from the end of his game, before rep ball practice started in the community arena.  LOL, he was warmed up and ready to go.  

[Welly9]

13 minutes ago, A&L_Ont said:

Mitch is the CD’s name.  He spent some time with our family at the flowrider, as his girlfriend was on the wave with us at the same time. He’s from London just like Russ, you and me. 
 

We didn’t make it to the Knights game Friday (seasons ticket holder since 2004) because our son was playing in Lucan VS Wallaceburg. The season is soon to wrap up with one more round of games.  Kinda looking forward to it this year, as the drama of some teenaged boys is enough for me. Our son actually had 30 minutes from the end of his game, before rep ball practice started in the community arena.  LOL, he was warmed up and ready to go.  

YES thats it! Great CD actually. 

and LOL - teenaged boys - boys will be boys! Hockey is a good out for them and others and should have never been taken away from them, or any physical activity for that matter for anyone! Ive been coaching for years and the last year two years were tough and I felt for the kids - so I did the best I could to give them normalcy.  

[A&L_Ont]

13 minutes ago, Welly9 said:

YES thats it! Great CD actually. 

and LOL - teenaged boys - boys will be boys! Hockey is a good out for them and others and should have never been taken away from them, or any physical activity for that matter for anyone! Ive been coaching for years and the last year two years were tough and I felt for the kids - so I did the best I could to give them normalcy.  

 

I hear you and on all fronts. This will be the first summer in 10 years our son isn’t playing soccer at all. The last 6 years he has played soccer and baseball at the same time. This year he will just focus on baseball and we will enjoy having a bit more time at home in the summer. That being said, last summer with outside sports was perfect for him. Playing sports gave the kids and the parents some sense of normalcy.  
 

All that soccer playing turned him into the grade 9 kicker for Medway football so we have taken to watching another sport.  He isn’t sure if he will try out for soccer, base ball, or track and field this spring for Medway.  Very blessed with the sports and grades in the 80s but it comes with lots of work. 
 

As a parent thanks for taking your time to coach. It is greatly appreciated.

Edited March 7, 2022 by A&L_Ont