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Covid Testing Paris for return to US
We are on the May 1, 2022 Tour "A Week in Paris and London". We are tending by one day (return Monday, May 9). We understand we will need to secure a Covid test on Sunday, May 8. We would like to take a tour outside of Paris for the day. Wondering how/when the testing is done and how much time to allow so can book a tour. Anyone able to help?
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applemc55,
If I understand correctly, you are adding one post-tour day, so you will need to make your own plans for the testing in order to return to the U.S. This won't be a problem since pharmacies in Paris are virtually on almost every street corner. The tour director will assist in finding a pharmacy offering the best/fastest service. Be prepared to pay cash/euros. Enjoy your trip.
Extending on Tauck tours is routine and Tauck won't leave you hanging, they will assist.
We extended a day and some on our tour left 2 days after the end of last week's J&E. During testing for everyone else we were able make an appointment with the doctor for a later test. Two days later the doctor/tech came to our room to administer the test. We received results electronically within a few hours and paper results were dropped off at the hotel desk not long afterwards. Unless you are extending in another city, it should be no problem.
Since an antigen test is also accepted, you can take with you one of the internet-proctored online test kits, e.g. Abbot Labs eMed/BINAX Now COVID-Ag Card Home Test. If you go this route make sure you get the right one. There is a similar test that is not approved.
As Alan said, extending isn't a problem. Explain the situation to your TD at the start of your tour. They'll work with you to make arrangements.
I think Applemc is concerned about whether he can still be on an all day tour and get a test. It really depends how helpful Tauck can be for a maybe out of normal out of hours test.
On the day we needed to be tested we were scheduled for an all-day tour as well.
We were scheduled to fly out at 0245 am on fly home day +1, so couldn't take the test with the the group on the day prior to normal fly-home day (too early for CDC). Our test had to be done on the last day of the tour (fly home day) but allow enough time to get results before we headed to the airport at about 1000 pm. We we were scheduled to depart that morning for an all-day excursion with a private guide, so we arranged with the testing folks to be tested at 0800 before we left for touring. The doctor suggested 0900 but I didn't want to wait that long.
In the end it depends on the testing outfit- I believe they will be inclined be cooperative and flexible if it means continuing to work with Tauck.
FYI, we were in the lounge at CAI when a group of Americans came in. One was coughing up a lung and my wife overheard her tell one of her co-travelers she didn't think she could continue. They also sat in business class on our flight from CAI to IST. Well guess what I caught this past weekend!!
I have a friend that just returned from Ireland. I asked him about the Covid tests to get in and out of the country, he said he used tests from Ihealth.com, it's an internet-proctored online test kit you can take from your room. I'm looking into it now. He said it takes 10 days to arrive so he advised not to put off getting it. It's the first I've heard of this, but that's not surprising as things seem to change daily. He said it was very easy.
Alan, do you mean you have Covid?
1) A Spring Training game
2) A sermon at your church
3) A Florida Georgia Line concert
4) ???
Looked up the IHealth tests. I h ave them at home as these were the tests the government sent out for free. You have to make an appointment and have a desktop or laptop (notebook not supported) for a video call while taking the tests.
Yup.
Already over it after a little over a day.
Good to hear you escaped lightly. Here, we are hoping we can get to NY this weekend without coming down with Covid before we go, otherwise that’s a big loss on tickets for two shows.
I didn't know the ones the government sent for free could be used to remotely generate official results.
The Abbbott Labs BinaxNOW Home test I mentioned above and other brands that are used in conjunction with eMed, Telehealth, etc. are easier- most can be done with a cell phone (the test vendor's website should tell you what you need.) There are a number of YouTube videos that demonstrate the relatively easy procedure. With most, you need to- buy the kit in the US (not available overseas) and take it with you, download an app, have a good internet connection while taking the test, and, if you need printed results with QR code, have access to a printer (available at hotels Tauck uses.) You also need to be able to prop up the phone, etc. (or hold it) so the camera stays aimed at the test kit for the duration (15 min.?) of the test. They are certainly cheaper.
These are not PCR tests, but antigen tests which are also accepted for entry into the US. If you are leaving and not returning to the city where the tour ends, this is one option or a backup for testing at another overseas location.
Alan - When you say you had Covid and one day later you were over it. Was that confirmed via tests that one day you had it and the next day you didn’t? If so, do you think you had it days before you confirmed it with a test? Or is all of this just based on gut feelings?
Who knows when I actually contracted it. At least one, possibly one and a half, days prior to taking the test I started experiencing what we thought might be a reaction to pollen which is getting really bad in NC now and/or getting my typical once-a-year Spring cold with a cough and nasal congestion, both of which got worse as time went on. The next day I lacked energy and had a slight fever 100° so I took the COVID test which indicated I had COVID. I spent most of that day (yesterday) in my recliner or in bed. Today my fever and all symptoms are gone, unlike my typical cold where symptoms usually linger for a week or more. I never lost sense of taste or smell. If I hadn't taken the test I would never have known I had COVID.
British - this Covid thing is getting tiring...just learned that Matthew Broderick has Covid and we're scheduled to see him and SJP in Plaza Suite on Sunday. So far, an understudy is taking over. Wonder how soon before Sarah tests positive, too? What are you seeing?
Sorry to hear about your positive case, Alan. I feel like it's only a matter of time before we all get it. 🙄 Do you have to wait for the second booster, now? We're waiting a little bit longer, in anticipation of June travel.
Shari
SGF. HA HA BINGO! We are going to the same show as you! As long as SJP doesn’t get it too, we are not concerned about not seeing Matthew, we’ve seen him in other shows. In the past, we have seen understudys in a few other shows, even one time an actor reading from the script and it was still fabulous. At least the understudy has plenty of time to practice before Sunday. The tickets were extremely expensive though! On and Matthew was on Live with Kelly and Ryan Tuesday morning, must admit now, he looked a bit subdued.
We are seeing Billy Crystal on Saturday afternoon too, he better be Ok! Going to a favorite Italian restaurant on Saturday night. The last time we were In NY was literally days before Covid shutdown February 29th 2020, yes, just before our ill fated trip to Borneo, from where I thought we would never get home.
My husband has spent a couple of hours on the phone with his credit card and the Ritz Carlton in Palm Springs who are trying to charge us for a night that Tauck paid for on our Desert Oasis tour….we called Tauck, but are of course waiting for a call back.
applemc55 and Alan S - Thanks for the great information on the tests. I just got my Ihealth covid tests in the mail today, and I will book our tele appointment in advance. I downloaded the Ihealth app off of the QR code. Seems fairly easy! Can't wait for our trip to Portugal at the end of the month! I agree that this Covid thing is getting very tiring, but at least we can get back to traveling.
British - ooh...I wanted to see Billy Crystal - lucky you! These limited engagement shows make scheduling difficult, unless you stay in the city. We're 1+ hrs. away (traffic!), so we come in when we can. Fingers crossed for Funny Girl in May and Music Man in June.
Can you share your favorite Italian restaurant? I promise I won't tell!🤫
See your PM
Same as SGF British please PM me, I'll be in New York the weekend of April 21st have tickets for Six, Music Man, Company and Plaza Suite, hope he's back by then.
Alan, glad it was a quick bout and now you are supposedly safe for 3 months. Don't believe Omicron involves loss of taste and smell; I liked those symptoms as an easy litmus test.
Omicron does not always involve taste and smell, sometimes it is symptomless.
I just found out a new detail about the internet proctored Covid testing using Ihealth.com. An important detail! I wanted to pass it on! From the Ihealth.com website:
A laptop or desktop computer with a stable and video-capable Wi-Fi connection is required. Aside from that, the computer must have a mic and a front-facing webcam. Currently, the only compatible web browser is Google Chrome. Tablets and smartphones are NOT supported.
MalloryG...I'm going to send you a private message about the proctored testing. I'll be doing this in 2 weeks, but it's on a non-Tauck tour so I'll send you a message separately.
Applemc55...
We are also going on the London-Paris tour on May 1. We will arrive in London the day before the tour begins and will also have a post day on May 8. We are also doing an all day tour on that post day. I guess we will just ask the TD what to do about the test. Looking forward to the trip and meeting you!