Expedition Canada

We Hope Tracking tells us that our tests have been delivered, to ‘Glen @ Ship Dock’ in Vancouver, which we assumed was a local testing station, rather than being sent all the way back to Ontario.  It turns out that ATS, where Glen works, is not Advanced Testing Services, but Advanced Transport Services, who specialise in medical and associated transportation.  It looks as though they have been shipped back to the laboratory at Mississauga ON, where we started our Canadian quarantine in the mandatory hotel, two weeks ago tomorrow. How do we know all this you might ask.  Well there isn’t much else to do when you are in quarantine! On a more serious note, it does make you appreciate the freedom we have compared to many living in urban flats and apartments, who had to tolerate weeks of self isolation.  It is easy to understand how for some it was a real mental health challenge.  Behind the humour, we recognise we are very fortunate.   Reading the small print, i...

Three to go A quiet news day today.  Covid texts have been picked up by the courier.  An international Zoom gym session took place with Marlborough based Dom Smart and Jack is getting to know Josie, the resident boxer. Relief when our Covid tests were picked up half an hour early, not least as we had put them out for collection ahead of time in case they pitched up before the appointed hour.  They now head back to Ontario and we await the results.   The only exercise in quarantine is limited and it’s been difficult to find the motivation to do something.  Oh to go on a run!  This morning I had another Zoom session with Dom Smart which guarantees I’ll be aching and stiff tomorrow.  But hey, no pain no gain!   After a couple of walks out with the lady boxer upstairs, she has been allowed down in the garden.  They seem to get on OK, though  she keeps stealing Jack’s balls.  Worse, he lets her! We have had a chance to try some local gin...

Four to go Covid - Self Test Kit Day 10 is Covid test day using the kit were were given on arrival in Toronto a week last Saturday. A quick scan of the pack's QR code and we were individually linked to the online system for carrying out the test.  Heart sank when we saw 338 people ahead of us in the queue though within 10-15 minutes we were both connected with a nurse who talked us through the procedure.   The finished result is picked up by a courier tomorrow afternoon.  Our address that we entered when setting up the App at Toronto airport, before our first test, was already in the system.  It is amazingly efficient and well designed, from the technology behind the App and tracking process, the design of the self test box and kit, through to the overall workflow.  It is pretty impressive.   More efficient than the vaccination programme in Canada, says our son.  Certainly the programme got off to a slow start and is well behind the...

 Nine days to go Garden Quarantine Having escaped our mandated 3 nights hotel quarantine in Toronto a day early after our Covid tests came back negative, we have been settling in to our Vancouver rental. Nine more days of quarantine, restricted to the house and garden, and we'll be allowed out if our 10th day Covid test comes back negative.  Daily emails checks from the Canadian health care system wanting confirmation that we are symptom free and a potential visit from an official to check we are in quarantine could take place at any time.  I remain impressed by the way Canada is managing the risk of people arriving in to the country and minimizing exposure.  The good news is that Jack should be with us in about 48 hours and is being picked up at Vancouver airport by Nick Saturday morning. Much like the UK the news agenda is dominated by Covid.  With the British media's focus on the domestic agenda, the USA and Europe, it is unsurprising to find the Ca...