US Travel Bans/Restrictions South Africa

[Edster]

Yes but the newest refs say lab. Look lower down the page in the regulations. Somewhat contradictory.

Yep I see that now. Covering their bases. If they don't like it one way they can have it the other

 

[spike.t]

Yes but the newest refs say lab. Look lower down the page in the regulations. Somewhat contradictory.

Am at ranch...but will dig out louise test result when back in lusaka if I can find it and from memory it shows doc info and laboratory info on it..needs both I think....

 

[rookhawk]

Fair point. There are a few local spots in Atlanta area that say they'll get you results in 24 hrs. I'll pick a place with time to spare before I depart. Hoping by later April things will be calmed a bit.

If you're not paying for a test from Covid Consultants, about $300, I don't think you're going to have much luck.

There are endless supplies of places that have free testing with 24 hour turn-around times. However, the Walgreens, Riteaid, CVS type places get back logged, sometimes for a week. Second, when you don't have any symptoms, they put you at the bottom of the pile and you don't get it in time. If you lie and say you have symptoms to get the rapid test, then that gets marked on the results and you can't get on an airplane because you attested to having symptoms. <- You see the logic paradox here?

Pay a private lab that is making money with guaranteed results explicitly for the sake of international travel. Its a total scam, but its the scam you need. You're spitting in a cup any day you want, but the minute they PROCESS the test they make it seem like that is when you DONATED the sample. So the sham works because of that and that you have results the next day so you can have a valid PCR within 48 hours of departure. Welcome to America.

On the return, I don't know about RSA, but Zimbabwe as cash strapped as they are made it very easy. Money talks. $60, you walk into a tent, they test you with a real Dr doing it. The next day, a runner meets you at the airport with your results and you board the plane. God bless Zimbabwean capitalism over US socialized medicine in this case, they get it done. (and for 1/6th the price you'll pay for Covid Consultants!)

 

[Scott CWO]

AIR SERVICES

Gazette 43752 of 1 October 2020 as amended by Gazette 43956 of 3 December 2020

International flights and domestic flights

International flights to and from the Republic, as well as domestic flights within the Republic, are permitted in terms of regulation 75, read with regulation 76(2)(a) of the Regulations.

With effect from the date of publication of these Directions [3 December 2020], international passenger flights to and from the Republic shall be permitted, subject to the following conditions:

(a) A traveller must provide a valid negative Polymerase Chain Reaction ( "PCR ") test certificate, obtained not more than 72 hours before the date of travel from an accredited laboratory and in line with World Health Organization requirements or equivalent local accreditation authority, South African Authorities reserve the right to verify the authenticity of the presented PCR or COVID-19 test certificates;

The text above is from December 2020.

 

[rookhawk]

I wrote an article on this topic and put it in the news section. It walks through the test process and how to get on a safari. It took me dozens of hours of calls and research.

For what its worth, I was on one of the last flights out before they shut Zim down in February and I was on one of the first flights in when they opened Zim in October, the process is surely more streamlined since then. I'll find out in 30 days as I'm heading back with my middle kid to take a ten year old on his first safari.

Slightly off topic, but the whole Covid thing is totally out of hand. No one wants to accept the truth and the media and governments are slow playing this truth so please let it sink in:

-Covid is a novel virus. It has over 1600 mutated variants. It grows in variations exponentially.

-It is NEVER, NEVER, EVER going away. So as these world governments destroy their economies "waiting for the vaccine" realize there is no vaccine that solves covid. There never will be a covid vaccine that has any reasonable utility. Never.

-The current covid vaccines typically require 1 shot, a two week wait, and a 2nd booster. Most are then effective 30 DAYS LATER. Their efficacy is about 80% for SIGNIFICANT covid reactions (meaining less likely to die, but still get covid) and its LONGEVITY is unknown but estimated at about 4 to 8 months. Read that again please: the vaccine will take you two months from prick to actually working and will then work for 4 to 8 months with modest efficacy against SOME STRAINS.

-Everyone is going to get vaccine after vaccine after vaccine. This will be forever. This is another flu shot. And it won't work, because you'll never gain herd immunity because of all the mutations and their resistance to varioius vaccines. Further, you'll never get herd immunity because most people (and you need 90% participation) will not get a "flu shot" that works kinda-sorta every 4-6 months for the rest of their lives. Too much pain in the ass to do this. You'll be shooting up more often than a heroin addict.

So in conclusion, go live your life and go hunting. Wash your hands. Wear a mask. Stop worrying because there is not a damned thing you can do about Covid and neither can governments. It's here to stay. It's another Flu that will kill people every year from now to eternity. Move on with your life. Live your adventures. Go hunting.

 

[Scott CWO]

If you're not paying for a test from Covid Consultants, about $300, I don't think you're going to have much luck.

There are endless supplies of places that have free testing with 24 hour turn-around times. However, the Walgreens, Riteaid, CVS type places get back logged, sometimes for a week. Second, when you don't have any symptoms, they put you at the bottom of the pile and you don't get it in time. If you lie and say you have symptoms to get the rapid test, then that gets marked on the results and you can't get on an airplane because you attested to having symptoms. <- You see the logic paradox here?

Pay a private lab that is making money with guaranteed results explicitly for the sake of international travel. Its a total scam, but its the scam you need. You're spitting in a cup any day you want, but the minute they PROCESS the test they make it seem like that is when you DONATED the sample. So the sham works because of that and that you have results the next day so you can have a valid PCR within 48 hours of departure. Welcome to America.

On the return, I don't know about RSA, but Zimbabwe as cash strapped as they are made it very easy. Money talks. $60, you walk into a tent, they test you with a real Dr doing it. The next day, a runner meets you at the airport with your results and you board the plane. God bless Zimbabwean capitalism over US socialized medicine in this case, they get it done. (and for 1/6th the price you'll pay for Covid Consultants!)

Exactly why I am getting local test and Covid Consultants test.

 

[rookhawk]

Exactly why I am getting local test and Covid Consultants test.

Scott, do a bit of statistical probability math with me here.

There is a failure rate of false positives on these tests. The free local tests hover around 10%-15% rates. Here's what will happen potentially. You pass the PCR with Covid Consultants and you fail the test with the local in-person place. You then hop on a plane with your Covid Consultants correct test. The local failed test is reported to government and they call to skip trace you and ensure you're quarantined and to schedule your mandatory follow up test 7 days later. But you're not home. And they find out you flew internationally with a positive test. Bad news.

You want one test. The test of the highest accuracy. Not two tests, because a positive and a negative result = no trip.

 

[Edster]

I wrote an article on this topic and put it in the news section. It walks through the test process and how to get on a safari. It took me dozens of hours of calls and research.

Ok link to the article please, you have piqued my interest

 

[rookhawk]

Ok link to the article please, you have piqued my interest

Here you go: https://www.africahunting.com/threads/covid-19-free-to-fly-procedures-and-tests-for-americans.59544/

 

[Scott CWO]

Scott, do a bit of statistical probability math with me here.

There is a failure rate of false positives on these tests. The free local tests hover around 10%-15% rates. Here's what will happen potentially. You pass the PCR with Covid Consultants and you fail the test with the local in-person place. You then hop on a plane with your Covid Consultants correct test. The local failed test is reported to government and they call to skip trace you and ensure you're quarantined and to schedule your mandatory follow up test 7 days later. But you're not home. And they find out you flew internationally with a positive test. Bad news.

You want one test. The test of the highest accuracy. Not two tests, because a positive and a negative result = no trip.

The local test I will take is conducted and processed in-house on site at the UC Health lab that our doctors use for all tests, not just COVID tests. False positives at this lab are less than 5%. They tell me turnaround time is from 12-48 hours but they refused to make an absolute guarantee on timing, like most facilities.

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

I just called a company in Houston area that has labs all over the USA. Any Lab Test Now is the company. They said they can do Covid PCR test and have results back to you in 24-36 hours after it is taken. They have a lab about 50 miles from me. I may go this route for my test instead of Covid Consultants.

 

[rookhawk]

I just called a company in Houston area that has labs all over the USA. Any Lab Test Now is the company. They said they can do Covid PCR test and have results back to you in 24-36 hours after it is taken. They have a lab about 50 miles from me. I may go this route for my test instead of Covid Consultants.

Mark, you better make sure that they are in on the scam. Because it is a scam you're paying for. If they were by the book they'd need to mark the time of the sample being given and then they'd need to turn around the test in that amount of time. If they use the time of sample arrival versus sample analysis as the starting point, or if they used the time of the date/hour stamp when FedEx picks it up, you could have a problem.


For $400 Covid Consultants is marking the time stamp of when they receive it (that day and time in the AM) as the time of test. Basically, they are saying you were in the parking lot, spit in the cup, handed it to fedex, they walked it ten feet to the door, and then they tested it. That's how they beat the system so you can fly. Test results show up at 6pm-8pm that day of testing and you fly out the next day, less than 48 hours from testing.

 

[Uncle Sauce]

Good info guys - thanks for all the input above. Much appreciated!

 

[Edster]

Mark, you better make sure that they are in on the scam. Because it is a scam you're paying for. If they were by the book they'd need to mark the time of the sample being given and then they'd need to turn around the test in that amount of time. If they use the time of sample arrival versus sample analysis as the starting point, or if they used the time of the date/hour stamp when FedEx picks it up, you could have a problem.


For $400 Covid Consultants is marking the time stamp of when they receive it (that day and time in the AM) as the time of test. Basically, they are saying you were in the parking lot, spit in the cup, handed it to fedex, they walked it ten feet to the door, and then they tested it. That's how they beat the system so you can fly. Test results show up at 6pm-8pm that day of testing and you fly out the next day, less than 48 hours from testing.

I thought COVID Consultants was $219.00

 

[Scott CWO]

Mark, you better make sure that they are in on the scam. Because it is a scam you're paying for. If they were by the book they'd need to mark the time of the sample being given and then they'd need to turn around the test in that amount of time. If they use the time of sample arrival versus sample analysis as the starting point, or if they used the time of the date/hour stamp when FedEx picks it up, you could have a problem.


For $400 Covid Consultants is marking the time stamp of when they receive it (that day and time in the AM) as the time of test. Basically, they are saying you were in the parking lot, spit in the cup, handed it to fedex, they walked it ten feet to the door, and then they tested it. That's how they beat the system so you can fly. Test results show up at 6pm-8pm that day of testing and you fly out the next day, less than 48 hours from testing.

It’s not a scam if you do the test on Monday afternoon, it’s overnighted and arrives at CC by 10:30am on Tuesday, results are received on Wednesday morning and you fly on Thursday morning. The test was conducted on Monday afternoon, which is within the 72 hour window before departure on Thursday morning. I will document the time of my sample being taken on Monday afternoon.

 

[Tanks]

...

On the return, I don't know about RSA, but Zimbabwe as cash strapped as they are made it very easy. Money talks. $60, you walk into a tent, they test you with a real Dr doing it. The next day, a runner meets you at the airport with your results and you board the plane. God bless Zimbabwean capitalism over US socialized medicine in this case, they get it done. (and for 1/6th the price you'll pay for Covid Consultants!)

I was recently told by my outfitter that Zim test at Harare has a 2 hour turnaround time now.

 

[Tanks]

The issue I have with these tests upon departure is that we have to time them so carefully. In my case I have to receive the test results within 48 hours of arrival in Zimbabwe. My overall travel time is 40 hours from my house to arrival at Harare.

That means I have to have test results the morning of my departure from LAX.

Any SNAFU at any place means one might not make their flight due to not having a test result in time.

 

[Scott CWO]

The issue I have with these tests upon departure is that we have to time them so carefully. In my case I have to receive the test results within 48 hours of arrival in Zimbabwe. My overall travel time is 40 hours from my house to arrival at Harare.

That means I have to have test results the morning of my departure from LAX.

Any SNAFU at any place means one might not make their flight due to not having a test result in time.

Yes, that is definitely an incentive to hunt somewhere else with the 72 hour window. Operators in Zimbabwe should lobby their government to change to the 72 hour requirement that neighboring countries have adopted.

 

[Tanks]

Governments have not been that good responding to people.

I have looked at a couple of things as fall back options. One is getting retested at Dubai during my 13 hour layover. The other is getting retested at Harare airport after arrival. You get the results in 2 hours, so not a big deal as my arrival time is around 6PM and would be spending the night at Harare anyway as it is not safe to drive at night on the freeways over there due to road conditions and farm vehicles without lights.

 

[Scott CWO]

Governments have not been that good responding to people.

I have looked at a couple of things as fall back options. One is getting retested at Dubai during my 13 hour layover. The other is getting retested at Harare airport after arrival. You get the results in 2 hours, so not a big deal as my arrival time is around 6PM and would be spending the night at Harare anyway as it is not safe to drive at night on the freeways over there due to road conditions and farm vehicles without lights.

Do the Dubai and Harare airports offer PCR tests that quickly? If so, that sounds good.