Arriving in Canada: Guidelines to Follow During Quarantine

https://twitter.com/travelgoc/status/1241902869827276802
                                                                      Image source: https://twitter.com/travelgoc/status/1241902869827276802  


I am sharing my experience of arriving in Canada and following the quarantine procedures on my arrival. This article is solely based on my personal experience while flying from Shanghai-China to Montreal Canada.

Things to do before taking the flight:

Following is the list of required documents prior to flying to Canada, it may be different based on the type of visa, but the majority of the procedures are the same for all visa types.


1. Book the hotel for the three nights of quarantine which is non-refundable it cost me around 1000 CAD. I booked hotel Crowne Plaza Toronto


2. Negative COVID-19 test results within 72 hours of the departure time of flight.
3. Job offer letter
4. Passport with Visa Stamp
5. ArriveCan confirmation code on mobile
6. Quarantine address, I booked an Airbnb


I booked the hotel prior to my flight to Toronto as I was landing in Toronto first. It was Crowne Plaza hotel, the service was really good (It should be as I paid a hell of money for only three nights). Then I booked an Airbnb for the rest of my quarantine days in Montreal. I updated all the details in the ArrivaCan application prior to taking the flight, which generates a code, that is required to show at the immigration in Canada. There were only 1/3 of the passengers on the flight so I literally slept on my adjacent seats during the whole flight. It was mandatory to wear masks during the flight and the flight staff was very strict on its proper implementation.

Procedures at landing in Canada:

 I landed in Canada on a work visa on March 22, 2021, at around 1600 HRS, and was traveling from Shanghai to Montreal. Air Canada rescheduled my flight to Montreal automatically for the 25th of March although it was shown on the ticket that I will fly the same day to Montreal. My flight first landed in Toronto airport so according to the rules of the Canadian government, I have to do the immigration process at the first port of entry, so I passed through the immigration process. After receiving my work permit at the immigration, I collected my baggage and passed it to the COVID testing facility. I used my mobile to create an account on the SwitchHealth portal while remaining in the queue to be tested for the COVID-19. Subsequently, the pickup service of the Hotel Crowne Plaza Hotel Toronto took me to the hotel.

Arriving at the hotel:

At the reception, they asked for the passport and allotted me the room, I stayed there for three nights and waited for my test results. Until the evening of the second day, I did not get the results, as my next flight was after three nights stay at around 1015 on the third day from Toronto airport to Montreal. I was worried about whether I will be allowed to board the flight without negative COVID test results. I called Air Canada to reschedule my flight to 1600 HRS. They did it for me so that I had more time to wait for the test results. Luckily, I received my test results on the evening of the 24th of March. The next day, I checked out of the hotel around 12:00 HRS and took the hotel shuttle bus to the airport. At the airport, my luggage was around 5 pounds more than the allowed weight so they asked me to pay around 100 CAD and were not accepting cash. So be careful with the allowed luggage capacity, they are very strict about the luggage capacity on local flights. 

11 Days of Quarantine at the Airbnb:

I landed in Montreal at around 17:00 HRS and took a taxi to Airbnb for the rest of my quarantine. It was a very well-managed apartment with all the amenities I needed to spend my time for the rest of 11 days. I requested one of my friends to deliver some groceries to me during my quarantine. He came in the evening and delivered all the things. 

Health Canada Representative's Visit:

On day 7, a representative from Health Canada came to my residence and asked me some questions related to quarantine and how I am living during this period. He asked me how I am managing groceries and other stuff during my quarantine. He was very polite during all this interview.

Second Covid-19 Test on Day 10:

On day 10 of my quarantine, I used the Switch Health kit and registered the kit using the serial number given on it. 
The system is self-explanatory, which took me to the next page where I need to wait for the online nurse to guide me through the testing process. It took me around 1 hour to wait for my turn. My audio and camera automatically turned on and I completed the test according to the guidelines of the nurse. After taking the test and carefully wrapping the package and putting the address that was inside the box, the Switch Health portal asked for my pick-up address and time to pick up. I chose the 2nd April time from 1-5 PM. I put the package in front of my door and was constantly waiting for the courier to pick it up. I was worried that the courier service may not come and I may face issues with getting the results. However, the representatives of Purolator courier services came around 3 PM and I had a sigh of relief. 

Getting the Test Results and Leaving the Quarantine:

Then I was constantly checking the Switch Health Portal for my test results. My test results were updated on the 3rd of April. The 4th of April was my last day at quarantine, I made a call to Health Canada to confirm that I can leave on the 5th of April. So, I left the quarantine on the 5th of April to head to my residence. 

Precautions on Late arrival of Day 10 results.

Sometimes the test results do not arrive on time, in this case, you need to call Health Canada to get help. They will guide you on what to do in this case. Be patient and wait for the results before leaving the place of your quarantine. 

Important Phone Numbers, Websites, and Emails:

Switch Health Helpline: 16479771030
Health Canada Helpline: 18337844397
Purolator Courier Service Helpline: 18887447123
Switch Health Portal
https://portal.switchhealth.ca/
Hotel Crowne Plaza Toronto
https://www.ihg.com/crowneplaza/hotels/us/en/toronto/yyzca/hoteldetail 
Day 10 test procedure.
https://www.switchhealth.ca/en/individuals/home-kits/covid-test/
Quarantine Address Change Email Montreal
phac.quarantine.covid19.quarantaine.aspc@canada.ca  

List of Grocery Items

Following is my grocery list, which you may buy as per your dietary requirements and eating habits. As I was cooking by myself, I used the following items.

Chicken 1.5 Kg

Onion 1 Kg

Potato 1 kg

Tomato 2 kg

Green Pepper 0.5 kg

Carrots 5 pieces

Cucumber 5 pieces

Cauliflower 1 kg

Apples 1.5 kg

Bananas 1 dozen

Oranges 10

Sugar 0.5kg

Milk 5 liters

Eggs 2 dozens

Bread 2 packs

Rice 2 kg

Garlic 3 pieces

Ginger 2 medium pieces

Salt and pepper

Cooking oil

Tissue papers

Pasta 2 packs 0.5 kg each

Lemons

Cold Drinks and Juices

Yogurt


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