Alaska travel

[LostArra]

nothing else makes much practical sense.

This pretty well sums it up.

On my recent fishing trip to POW the "official" in Ketchikan spent a total of about 5 seconds taking my signed travel declaration, looking at my Negative test paper and sending me out the door. Maybe she's good with numbers.

 

[SgtTanner]

Update for those of you needing a test. I ordered one from Everlywell. Price was $109 I believe. Dropped it in the mail on Monday, had my negative results Wednesday evening.

I depart next Thursday. I’ve got another test lined up from Picture Genetics that I’ll send in next Monday, to hopefully have results within that 72 hour window.

 

[Huntmaster]

Has anyone found a home test kit that you can do for under 18 years of age?

 

[SgtTanner]

Has anyone found a home test kit that you can do for under 18 years of age?

Both of mine state they’re for 18+. I can imagine that leaves many people in a tough spot.

 

[kennedy1226]

I’m following this very closely. I’m scheduled to arrive in anchorage on September 4th, with my Covid test scheduled for the 2nd. I was told by my PCP that unless I have symptoms, the results will take 7 days. Doc office said they would provide paperwork confirming I had a test, but awaiting results. I’m not sure this will work anymore with a new mandate.

 

[Wolf-killer]

Update for those of you needing a test. I ordered one from Everlywell. Price was $109 I believe. Dropped it in the mail on Monday, had my negative results Wednesday evening.

I depart next Thursday. I’ve got another test lined up from Picture Genetics that I’ll send in next Monday, to hopefully have results within that 72 hour window.

Good to know
Think I will do a Everlywell and Picture Genetics to make sure I hopefully get one back

 

[OXN939]

Seems on Aug 11 hunters will need to have a recent negative test result before flying to AK, which should be as simple as getting tested 5 days before you leave home so that your results are known 72 hours prior to travel. ASt least thats how it seems at today. Anyone know different?

Governor announces all nonresidents will have to arrive in Alaska with negative COVID-19 tests

The new policy goes into effect Aug. 11 and marks a shift from existing protocols that allow visitors to get tested or quarantine after they arrive.

www.adn.com

July 29 article

I've spent a while parsing out AK's requirements. If you take a test between 5 days and 72 hours before travel and have are negative, you *consent* to retest when you land in AK and are then good to go. You have to actually take the test (and come back negative) within 72 hours of beginning to travel in order to be 100% good as soon as you land with no further action required.

The problem is that many of the tests listed as approved on their website take longer than 72 hours to come back, so they would involve either A) taking them before the 72 hour travel window or B) a potential waiting period once you're on the ground. I have an Everlywell test and plan to take it exactly 72 hours before I depart for the airport, and have built in time to stick around in FAI until I get the results back electronically.


Additionally, that all changes on 11AUG- from then on, taking a test within 72 hours of departure and quarantining until you get the results is your only option.

 

[Josh86]

I've spent a while parsing out AK's requirements. If you take a test between 5 days and 72 hours before travel and have are negative, you *consent* to retest when you land in AK and are then good to go. You have to actually take the test (and come back negative) within 72 hours of beginning to travel in order to be 100% good as soon as you land with no further action required.

The problem is that many of the tests listed as approved on their website take longer than 72 hours to come back, so they would involve either A) taking them before the 72 hour travel window or B) a potential waiting period once you're on the ground. I have an Everlywell test and plan to take it exactly 72 hours before I depart for the airport, and have built in time to stick around in FAI until I get the results back electronically.


Additionally, that all changes on 11AUG- from then on, taking a test within 72 hours of departure and quarantining until you get the results is your only option.

So if you have connecting flights do you think the 72hrs is from your first flight or the actual flight from a US city direct to a AK city? my flight leaves Wichita, KS @ 4:30pm my flight doesn't leave Seattle until 7:30pm which is going to cost me a 24 hrs of the 72hr window. The reason is that the fedex cutoff to ship the testing kit is 5pm I'll have to wait until the next day to ship or hope that a test within 75hrs is good enough

 

[AKBorn]

So if you have connecting flights do you think the 72hrs is from your first flight or the actual flight from a US city direct to a AK city? my flight leaves Wichita, KS @ 4:30pm my flight doesn't leave Seattle until 7:30pm which is going to cost me a 24 hrs of the 72hr window. The reason is that the fedex cutoff to ship the testing kit is 5pm I'll have to wait until the next day to ship or hope that a test within 75hrs is good enough

While KD, OXN and others have posted extremely helpful info here - I wouldn't rely on the forum to provide an accurate response to your question. If I was traveling to AK this fall, I would be maintaining fairly constant email or phone conversations with the AK Dept. of Health. I would hate for someone here to have their plans messed up because they interpreted AK's guidance differently than AK intended it to be interpreted. Go right to the source, as soon as you can. And good luck.

 

[Dragonfish]

Update for those of you needing a test. I ordered one from Everlywell. Price was $109 I believe. Dropped it in the mail on Monday, had my negative results Wednesday evening.

I depart next Thursday. I’ve got another test lined up from Picture Genetics that I’ll send in next Monday, to hopefully have results within that 72 hour window.

SGT- did you go ahead and pay for premium delivery? Overnight mail? or is there anything you can do to expedite?

 

[kennedy1226]

While KD, OXN and others have posted extremely helpful info here - I wouldn't rely on the forum to provide an accurate response to your question. If I was traveling to AK this fall, I would be maintaining fairly constant email or phone conversations with the AK Dept. of Health. I would hate for someone here to have their plans messed up because they interpreted AK's guidance differently than AK intended it to be interpreted. Go right to the source, as soon as you can. And good luck.

I called them earlier today and left a message, hopefully I will find some clarity when/if they return my call. I think they are over-whelmed.

 

[SgtTanner]

SGT- did you go ahead and pay for premium delivery? Overnight mail? or is there anything you can do to expedite?

Funny, I did pay for expedited shipping to get the kit to me, and then I didn’t receive said expedited shipping. Ordered it 7/21 and received it 7/27.

Swabbed my nose that same day, dropped it in the UPS drop box 7/27. It was delivered 7/28. I had results evening of 7/29. So about 48 hours from the time I dropped it with UPS. Not much you can do to expedite. The return trip is already (prepaid) overnight.

I am hoping I have the same situation play out next week. Drop the test in the mail Monday, results Wednesday or Thursday. I arrive in FAI Thursday evening. Only reason I got tested this week as well is I wanted to know sooner rather than later if I need to cancel.

 

[william schmaltz]

I called them earlier today and left a message, hopefully I will find some clarity when/if they return my call. I think they are over-whelmed.

Keep in mind that when the Governor made the announcement, it was more of a heads up that things were going to change than an official proclamation. He specifically said that information on enforcement will be made available in the next couple weeks along with a more detailed plan. So it’s likely that without an official plan, DHSS won’t have any exact answers for you for another week - because they don’t even have the plan yet.

I’m picking up my brother tonight, he had test results in 48 hours. My good friend was visiting last week with his family of 5 and they had results in about 2.5 days. Both just called around locally until they found somewhere that could do the TAT.

 

[Whip]

Since I am one to always worry about things I'll throw another potential glitch at you.

What happens if you test 72 hours before departure, have the negative test results in hand, and then your flight is cancelled or delayed?
My last trip to Kodiak departed a full day later than originally scheduled due to a mechanical problem on my first leg which caused me to miss the connection. Another flight wasn't available until the next day.

We will all hope and pray that our plans are solid, but reality is that there are still things that could go wrong. Maybe AK will at least work with travelers that might get caught up like that. We can only hope.

 

[Kevin Dill]

Since I am one to always worry about things I'll throw another potential glitch at you.

What happens if you test 72 hours before departure, have the negative test results in hand, and then your flight is cancelled or delayed?

Trick or Treat!

I suppose this is the interface between rules and the people who administer them. I'd like to think the person reviewing the documentation would not draw a hard line and prevent entry. Some level of flexible understanding and decision making is part of most processes involving people.

I think about the time a screener found a knife in my carry-on right after 9-11. I explained it. They confiscated it and searched me. It was a long-held sacred gift from my wife right after we married. I told them this and handed my address to the guy taking my knife. 4 weeks later my knife arrived in the mail. Or....

The time my wife's carry-on bag held a forgotten jar of salmonberry jelly as she was being screened in Fairbanks. They found it and took it....with an apology of course. I was staying behind to hunt, so went to the screening area and passed a message to the TSA screener. She grabbed the jelly and gave it to me, as my wife watched from the other (secure) side. I thanked her and asked her to say another good bye to my wife for me....whereupon she did exactly that and gave her a big hug too.

 

[SgtTanner]

Trick or Treat!

I suppose this is the interface between rules and the people who administer them. I'd like to think the person reviewing the documentation would not draw a hard line and prevent entry. Some level of flexible understanding and decision making is part of most processes involving people.

I think about the time a screener found a knife in my carry-on right after 9-11. I explained it. They confiscated it and searched me. It was a long-held sacred gift from my wife right after we married. I told them this and handed my address to the guy taking my knife. 4 weeks later my knife arrived in the mail. Or....

The time my wife's carry-on bag held a forgotten jar of salmonberry jelly as she was being screened in Fairbanks. They found it and took it....with an apology of course. I was staying behind to hunt, so went to the screening area and passed a message to the TSA screener. She grabbed the jelly and gave it to me, as my wife watched from the other (secure) side. I thanked her and asked her to say another good bye to my wife for me....whereupon she did exactly that and gave her a big hug too.

Those are stellar examples of reasonable wiggle room in the rules. And good people. I hope I’m wrong, but those sorts of kindness seem to be getting less and less common. But I guess all we can do is be kind ourselves, and teach our youth. But that’s a different thread.

I hadn’t consider what might happen if I get my results with 72 hours, and then my flight is delayed. For now, I think I’d still be okay as long as my results were within 5 days. But that sounds like it’ll change on 11 Aug. And then we’re probably reliant on another persons kindness and reason.

 

[kennedy1226]

Keep in mind that when the Governor made the announcement, it was more of a heads up that things were going to change than an official proclamation. He specifically said that information on enforcement will be made available in the next couple weeks along with a more detailed plan. So it’s likely that without an official plan, DHSS won’t have any exact answers for you for another week - because they don’t even have the plan yet.

I’m picking up my brother tonight, he had test results in 48 hours. My good friend was visiting last week with his family of 5 and they had results in about 2.5 days. Both just called around locally until they found somewhere that could do the TAT.

 

[kennedy1226]

Dhhs did call me back that day which was nice to see. They were as surprised as everyone else was at the governors new mandate, as they had no heads up. She said as of now, if people have proof of a test, but no results, they were letting them go on from there, ie. anchorage and quarantine in the woods. Just like everyone else, she doesn’t know what is next per Dunleavy. She advised me to call the village of Kotz, as that’s my final commercial flight destination so I did. The women I spoke to was very nice but also very adamant that if I arrive in Kotz without a negative result, I couldn’t go forward.. which at that point I’m already 95% there.

So this morning I ordered a Pixel test and I am going to test the turn around result time and go from there. We will see

 

[SgtTanner]

Dhhs did call me back that day which was nice to see. They were as surprised as everyone else was at the governors new mandate, as they had no heads up. She said as of now, if people have proof of a test, but no results, they were letting them go on from there, ie. anchorage and quarantine in the woods. Just like everyone else, she doesn’t know what is next per Dunleavy. She advised me to call the village of Kotz, as that’s my final commercial flight destination so I did. The women I spoke to was very nice but also very adamant that if I arrive in Kotz without a negative result, I couldn’t go forward.. which at that point I’m already 95% there.

So this morning I ordered a Pixel test and I am going to test the turn around result time and go from there. We will see

Let us know how it goes as far as the turn around time. Useful info.

 

[actionshooter]

Funny, I did pay for expedited shipping to get the kit to me, and then I didn’t receive said expedited shipping. Ordered it 7/21 and received it 7/27.

Swabbed my nose that same day, dropped it in the UPS drop box 7/27. It was delivered 7/28. I had results evening of 7/29. So about 48 hours from the time I dropped it with UPS. Not much you can do to expedite. The return trip is already (prepaid) overnight.

I am hoping I have the same situation play out next week. Drop the test in the mail Monday, results Wednesday or Thursday. I arrive in FAI Thursday evening. Only reason I got tested this week as well is I wanted to know sooner rather than later if I need to cancel.

So it looks like the breakdown was getting the test to you from the company and the testing was within their guidelines? Do they let you order the kit a week or two in advance and then you just sit on it until you need it?