Travel

[TY]

@Flatbush 

We did have a great time and we were cautious. I could never imagine that a few weeks after our trip that travel would once again be upended by the omicron variant.

Canada again has an advisory against international travel and the number of Covid cases in Canada is taking off due to omicron.

I think it's wise to postpone travel now.

My husband and I are triple vaxxed as he got his Pfizer booster a couple of weeks after our trip to Las Vegas and I got boosted on Dec. 18.

I wish I had the foresight to buy some rapid antigen tests while I was in Las Vegas as B.C. pharmacies don't sell them and the provincial health system is having to ration free Covid PCR tests as there are not enough so they are starting to hand out rapid antigen home tests to people who have lined up for hours in the greater Vancouver, B.C. area at Covid testing stations. There is no way that B.C. Can accurately keep count of Covid cases now as those home tests won't count in the official numbers unless those people who test positive report it to the health authorities.

[Flatbush]

@TY 

Are the tests accurate? There is so much confusion over the virus that I am usually in a state of confusion (even worse that my usual state of confusion lol )

Glad you had a very good time in Las Vegas. Good thing you went when you did tho.

My brother lives in Las Vegas, but he is amazed at the changes there. He is not happy about it.

Did you also notice any thing unpleasant on the streets?

Just wondering.

Take care.

Happy Holidays.

[TY]

@Flatbush 

I have's been on the boards for a while so I'm just seeing your post. 

Omicron went through Canada just as it did go through the U.S. starting in late November. British Columbia was not prepared and people here could not buy rapid antigen tests as pharmacies did not sell them. The provincial public health officials were not prepared and the testing centres where you could get a free PCR test were overwhelmed with people wanting to get tested starting in mid December.

They ended up changing who could get a PCR test to exclude anyone who wasn't old or clinically extremely vulnerable from being able to get a PCR test and just started handing out rapid antigen tests to do at home.

it took them 2 months for the general public to start being able to get a box of free rapid test from the pharmacy starting with people 70 and older. Students were also given boxes of rapid tests to take home.

As for Las Vegas, I noticed that the mask mandates back in November were not being enforced at all in casinos. I wore a face mask everywhere, even outdoors when it was crowded on the strip..and this was pre-omicron. I didn't notice any trouble on the strip but we are careful too.

My husband and I are planning to visit Las Vegas again in April. We are planning to still wear masks in casinos and restaurants.

I also want to give some advice about mask wearing and omicron. Be careful about how long you are not wearing a mask when you are eating and drinking in a restaurant or even at a crowded venue. My husband and his immediate family all got Covid omicron in January by regularly having 2 hour lunches in the same restaurant at least 3 to 7 times a week. I never went to those marathon lunches and I was the only one who did not get sick. Everyone was vaccinated and boosted but they all got omicron. My husband and his brothers didn't get very I'll do to the Covid vaccines, but their elderly and frail mother did not survive. She had a lot of comorbidities so any illness could have killed her. The vaccine passports here in B.C. worked well before omicron but no longer work well as omicron breakthrough infections are common now. At least the hospitalization rates are not too bad as most people are vaccinated.

[Flatbush]

@TY 

Thanks for the recap. It certainly has been a roller coaster here in Southern California as well. I use my judgement in when and where I either the mask or not.

The rules here are loosening up. Surprising that L.V. was not following the rules in November tho.

Thanks for the info regarding restaurants. So sorry that so many in your family experienced problems and even a death after eating out. I think as you do that the amount of time in one place with same people can have a direct affect on the virus contamination rate. We rarely eat out so hopefully we will not be affected.

I think there is still much to learn about the variations of the virus. 

I think you and DH will really enjoy your next visit. The weather be just about right and I hope you win a lot of jack pots.

Thanks for responding.