Decisions, decisions
Once the decision was made to travel to Costa Rica one week ago, it was time to spring into action.
With no globally coordinated response in place, each country currently determines their own set of protocols if a traveler wishes to cross their borders. As with the virus itself, these requirements are fluid as that government deems necessary in order to prevent or contain a potential outbreak. So far my experience has been that if a restriction is loosened, it happens quite quickly, but if it is tightened some notice is given.
At the time of writing this, Costa Rica has one of the longer list of requirements in the selection of countries that Americans can travel to, which frankly was an added attraction for me as a self-designated guinea pig. These include a 72 hour PCR (lab-conducted) test, a health pass which can only be completed once a negative test has been obtained, proof of state residency (only visitors from select states are permitted based on their reported positivity rate) and international medical insurance coverage that includes quarantine expenses should you contract the virus. If i could run this gauntlet, almost all other destinations would be attainable.
I will admit that when I first looked at the list, it was a bit daunting. Breaking it down made it far less intimidating and after some quick research, I understood my options on how to comply with the medical insurance aspect and it wasn’t terrible or outrageous. In fact if you are someone that purchases trip insurance routinely, as long as you ensure you have the correct level of medical coverage included as part of the policy, nothing really will change for you. If you are not a trip insurance person (tsk tsk) there are other choices.
Achieving the 72 hour PCR test was my biggest challenge. It took me about 3 hours to solve that issue. I first spoke to my Doctors office to see if they were willing to order me a test. I had heard from a couple of other people that their Doctor was willing to do that for them if they want to travel, however mine was not. Having a referral would have made things extremely simple as I had knowledge of a local university hospital and a clinic that has their own lab and can run the PCR tests on site. I called those labs as a long shot just in case they would see me but without symptoms or a referral they refused. Next I searched “Coronavirus PCR test near me”. My device provided a list of results including a synopsis of whether an appointment was required, a referral was needed, and testing all patients. This was highly useful as it weeded out many locations, but it was not a perfect science. 5 phone calls later, I established an Urgent Care clinic about 12 miles away who test asymptomatic people and take appointments. Perfect! I made my appointment for 70 hours before my flight departed. I was told results are back in 2-6 days. Ouch. As it transpired it was the only testing facility within a 50 mile radius that would even see me, I would need to take my chances.
I must admit that at this point I almost threw in the towel. I was not willing to purchase my flights without knowing I had an excellent shot of meeting the criteria and I wasn’t feeling 100% confident. However I am never one to back down from a challenge and I decided to continue seeking alternative solutions and if possible double my chances. While this would mean taking two tests the same day and paying twice, I felt this was a better investment than facing the possibility of losing what I had in the trip. While the airlines and resorts are being super flexible right now, due to my own personal circumstances even during normal times, I don’t know if I would be able to swing these particular plans anytime in the foreseeable future.
You may have seen in recent news, that certain airlines and airports are now creating their own solutions in order for passengers to be able to meet their popular destinations regulations. A brief search online for mail-in PCR tests led me to a couple of companies, one of which has a contract with American Airlines to test their customers so that they may travel, and Costa Rica would recognize those tests. With my ticket booked on American Airlines, and armed with flight details, “LetsGetChecked” proved a viable option. At the beginning you have to answer a few questions and provide basic details about your travel plans, and if they fit the agreement, you can buy as many kits as you need under a single login. I paid $129 per kit (my husband is traveling with me) plus an $8.95 lab fee. There was no option to provide insurance details to cover the cost but you can use your HSA credit/debit card if you have one.
The kit is overnighted to you but can take a day to process the order so they ask you order it at least 3 days before travel. Mine took 48 hours from order to delivery.
While a single user can purchase multiple tests in one order, unless you are a minor, each person taking a test must create their own account and you subsequently manage everything through their website or download an app on your smart device. I initiated my account and ordered my kits through their site but then downloaded the app later and tested my login. I also poked around a bit, but there was little I could do until it was time to take the test. Once I received my kit, I opened it immediately to familiarize myself with the contents and read over the instructions complete with diagrams for each step. At first glance, unfolding a poster-size sheet filled with instructions seemed more overwhelming than the criteria to enter Costa Rica, but as you break it down, much of this is due to the directions being really comprehensive. I carefully returned everything back to the box ready for “testing day”.
The kit and price includes a UPS overnight return envelope and the instructions state that the directions are strived for within 48 hours but can be 3 days.
That night, I am lying in bed doing the math. I can’t take the test any earlier than 11am on Wednesday (my flight departing the US is 1050am on Saturday). It then has to travel to California, the lab has to process it, get the results to me, and then I have to complete the Health Pass as my final step to obtain pre-authorization into the country. My calculation tells me while not impossible, it’s a tall order. I the attempt to comfort myself with the thought that American Airlines surely would not offered this solution specifically for a destination with this short a window if it wasn’t doable. In the name of research I will take the mail-in test but I think I am going to have to hang my hopes on the Urgent Care center after all.
As much as I love to travel and have missed it sorely, I am starting to question if the stress is worth it. I chide myself that perhaps I was too ambitious too early and should have picked a different destination with a longer testing window. With nothing left for me to do for now except wait (not my strong point), anxiety is kicking in, but with everything in motion and the call of all that awaits me in Costa Rica, I am just going to have to go for it and see where the wind takes me. It appears that deep breathes and bite-sized pieces are the order of the day.
