Where to get a pre-flight COVID-19 test?

[henrus]

In which time zone?

The order doesn't specify a time zone but I'd imagine similar to time based tests it'd be based on the time zone of departure.

 

[serfty]

In which time zone?

I believe that of the first segment of the booking.

While it seems unspecific on the CDC website, the Q&A's certainly imply that.

 

[serfty]

...

As per the web page @henrus linked to:

 

[henrus]

I believe that of the international departure port.

Yep that's what I was trying to get at but it's very confusing.

So I guess if you flew PER-SYD-LAX then it'd be based on SYD time but if you flew PER-DXB-LAX it'd be DXB time.

Similar if you flew SYD-AKL-LAX it'd be based on AKL time but if you flew SYD-LAX direct it'd be based SYD time.

They don't make it simple!

 

[justinbrett]

As the US only require RATs I’m wondering whether Histopath would be happy to test the day prior - I know they try to push the PCR test but I assume the lab is the limiting factor here. I’d normally just go for the PCR but if can get a RAT the day before instead I will.

 

[henrus]

As the US only require RATs I’m wondering whether Histopath would be happy to test the day prior

At the moment on paper histopath at the airport are only testing people on day of travel with an international ticket. I'm getting tested tomorrow so will press and ask some more questions about this (in Brisbane).

At their NSW locations outside of the airport the day shouldn't matter and same day RATs should be no problem according to the website.

 

[justinbrett]

At the moment on paper histopath at the airport are only testing people on day of travel with an international ticket. I'm getting tested tomorrow so will press and ask some more questions about this (in Brisbane).

At their NSW locations outside of the airport the day shouldn't matter and same day RATs should be no problem according to the website.

I was hoping the restriction was due to lab capacity and since RATs don’t need to be processed in the lab maybe they can still do it the day prior. Especially in Brisbane where there isn’t much international travel.

If you could ask that would be great - I am currently on the Gold Coast and driving back home to Newcastle the day before my QF11 flight from Sydney. I was hoping to be tested at Brisbane Airport immediately before driving to NSW. If I have to be tested in Sydney on day of departure I’m going to have to leave Newcastle in the morning and spend the day in Sydney, which I’d rather not do.

 

[serfty]

Yep that's what I was trying to get at but it's very confusing.

I have edited my post, looking more closely it's the local departure date of the first segment of a series of connecting flights. e.g. With PER-xSYD-LAX it's the departure date of the flight from PER.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Info I posted was for US Citizen returning to USA - no idea if diff rules apply US / non US citizen - sorry if I was confusing anybody

 

[serfty]

Info I posted was for US Citizen returning to USA - no idea if diff rules apply US / non US citizen - sorry if I was confusing anybody

All.good ...the page cited from was for all travellers to the USA.

COVID-19 and Travel

CDC travel recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

www.cdc.gov

 

[Must...Fly!]

Interesting that CDC says recovery within 90 days, I seem to recall most other countries accept a recovery with medical documentation up to 180 days?

 

[henrus]

Bit of an update from Brisbane.

I showed up at 8am to get tested, currently 1hr 50 mins later I'm still in the queue.

At 8am the line was about 200 people long, at about 8:30am they split the line into the 12:45pm Fiji flight and everyone else. They're currently taking one person from the everyone else queue for every 2 they take out of the Fiji queue.

 

[dajop]

Does anyone know if there are any other providers (other than Histopath at the airport) doing supervised Rapid Antigen Tests? Haven’t found any so far. The queues at the airport now don’t sound that fantastic and for SIN arrival only requires Rapid tests not necessarily PCR.

 

[serfty]

Does anyone know if there are any other providers (other than Histopath at the airport) doing supervised Rapid Antigen Tests? Haven’t found any so far. The queues at the airport now don’t sound that fantastic and for SIN arrival only requires Rapid tests not necessarily PCR.

Same with USA for RAT. I guess Histopath at the airports is popular due to pricing.

 

[henrus]

So finally I'm done.

As previously mentioned they processed the Fiji queue first before things finally started moving.

No one was checking if you were traveling today and they didn't need any documents, provided you'd registered online then it was a simple scan of the passport (many had printed the histopath receipt which was a waste of paper).

I was eventually swabbed around 10:44am (~2hrs 40mins in the queue. My result was finally sent via email for the PCR test at 11:16am meaning the PCR turn around was just 32 minutes.

 

[henrus]

Have just walked past histopath here in Sydney, the crowd is just as big as brisbane this morning. They looked to have more staff working so the queue seemed to be moving faster than it was in Brisbane this morning.

That being said if you're on one of the late night 9-10pm departures I'd say you'd want to be here a long time before departure.

 

[henrus]

No one was checking if you were traveling today and they didn't need any documents

Follow up on this comment, spoke to a few people in Sydney who said they showed up at histopath on Christmas day and were turned away for not having a same day departure.

No idea how it works if you have an early morning next day flight?

 

[dajop]

Same with USA for RAT. I guess Histopath at the airports is popular due to pricing.

I note US allows RAT tests to be self administered with a witness via tele-health, services which have been organised by the kit manufacturers. I imagine that service wouldn’t be available within Australia and whilst someone could call the US via a VOIP service the cost of the actual telehealth consultation could be expensive.

 

[Quickstatus]

Follow up on this comment, spoke to a few people in Sydney who said they showed up at histopath on Christmas day and were turned away for not having a same day departure.

No idea how it works if you have an early morning next day flight?

Histopath at airports are only for same days departures to guarantee timely results within their quoted 90min.

They have the PCR machine at the airports.

They are open at the airports from 0600
Otherwise get the PCR done elsewhere - they day same say results - I’ve heard that paying the fee prioritised your test but unsure if that is actually the case.

There is precedence in the Medicare schedule for priority Covid testing
Item number 69501 is paid at a higher level - it was brought in to prioritise testing (gets ahead of queue) for:
- age care workers Victoria
- interstate rail or truck drivers

Path labs cannot use 69501 for international travellers, but does the fee also include prioritisation of test results?

 

[serfty]

Otherwise get the PCR done elsewhere - they day same say results - I’ve heard that paying the fee prioritised your test but unsure if that is actually the case.

There's a reason for Histopath Popularity - $79 < $120 < $150 or more which these PCR tests are being charged for elsewhere.

Also, RAT are (now) $59 which for USA and SG at leastare cheaper as well.