₦airaland Forum

dawnomike:
FMC Abuja or UCH in Ibadan.

thank you so much.do you have any idea of how much it might cost?

Please can anyone recommend a good and affordable hospital in Nigeria for hip replacement surgery for my mum. Thank you.

Please house,how is the day 10 covid test done?

Yes oo,the bouillon cubes here are not the same.please buy enough of this!

JennyKadry2:
I don't live in Canada but your post here caught my attention. Bring everything(food related)you want to bring regardless if there is an abundance of same things in Canada.

I am one of those that left Nigeria many years ago and till date cannot eat noodles made here, or bouillon cubes that is not Knorr. I don't drink Milo and I don't buy sugar, so can't really say much about those ones but sugar is same everywhere so there might be no need for it

I have tried several bouillon cubes, noodles e.t.c and I can never get used to them so I end up going back to my knorr and naija noodles. I don't care if they costs me a arm and a leg, I wil buy them. I usually buy from Nigeria whenever I visit

If you end up liking their noodles in Canada or bouillon cubes then nothing spoil. If you don't, you have your Nigerian ones to fall back on.

I was advised not to bring some naija food ingredients and I listened to my advisors and regretted it cos then I ended up paying more to buy those same ingredients here

You won't really need Bluetooth speakers except it's one you own already and want to bring with you but no need buying one. You won't need extensions

All the best

Hi, travelling with study permit,(returning student)AL not needed.

uRobot:
Hi Cherrymia, are thou travelling based on AL? If so how long did it take to get exemption letter?

Thank you so much.[quote author=amaya21 post=100008626]My sister travelled recently. She used Medbury in Lekki 48 hours before travel. Results were out the next day. Cost 50k. I'm sure there are more affordable places - this is the one I know of and her results were emailed to her promptly the next

Please who has travelled from Lagos recently?where did you go for covid test and how much?please I need suggestions. I want to have an idea of the duration so I can do the 72hrs calculation.

Welcome home and thanks for taking your time to explain all these. I even thought the 3 days hotel quarantine will be at a traveller's final destination. could you please tell me the lab you used for the covid test in Lagos? And for the last test I read somewhere that someone will call you and watch you take the swab.

WinterDreary:
Traveling has become a lot harder in the light of the new Covid guidelines introduced by the Canadian government. Now, not only do you have to provide a negative Covid test before departure from your country of origin, you also have to plan to quarantine at a hotel at your point of entry in Canada. Presently, there are only four points of entry available: Calgary, Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. In addition, you have to plan to take a Covid test at your point of entry and at the end of your planned 14 days quarantine, if you test negative. If you test positive, you go into the government’s isolation center.
These restrictions came into effect on 22 February and my original departure flight from Lagos was on the next day. Out of sheer curiosity, I decided to not move my flight and to experience how these new restrictions will be. There was a lot of uncertainty on things like exemptions or on testing, but I felt it would be quite nice to gain the experience and talk to others about it. It was quite an experience indeed!

Booking the stopover hotel
The plan was to book the stopover hotel at Toronto before leaving Lagos. I was working with an estimated cost of $2000 as announced by the PM. But then, the bigger issue with the booking turned out not to be the cost, but conducting the actual booking. They provided just one phone number which anyone could call to do the booking. Expectedly, thousands were calling and wait times ran into hours. I was on the phone for a total of more than 60 hours, 3 hours each time after which the call would drop, before securing a booking. Eventually, I was able to book a room at Sheraton Gateway for a total of $1300 for the required 3 days.
I had read on Twitter that people were denied boarding who didn’t have a hotel booked. This made it more urgent for me to book the hotel. It appears many were unsuccessful with booking a room at any of the listed hotels, and I believe allowing such passenger to board remained dependent on the airline. Whatever the case, passengers who got to their initial destination in Canada would still have to book a place anyways. So, this is an important step.
Another important thing is the specific instruction on the government website to book a stopover hotel only by calling the provided number. Because this was difficult to achieve for some, they ended up booking directly with the hotel. I met a few persons at the airport who did this, and it seemed to work fine for them as they were allowed to go into the city.

Doing the Covid Test
The government instruction is to have a result 72 hours prior to departure flight to Canada. My flight was on a Monday out of Lagos, so I took the test on a Sunday, allowing enough time for 72 hours. Here, it is important to ensure the test is indeed 72 hours before your flight to Canada takes off. This means if you have a connecting flight before your last leg to Canada, you have to make sure the 72 hours is well covered. Airlines are becoming strict with this requirement and may ultimately not allow boarding if the timing is a little off, say you took the test on Saturday at 0900hrs while your flight to Canada from some other destination (Dubai, for example) leaves on Tuesday at 1500hrs. That’s more than 72 hours.
I met someone at the airport who had this issue and was almost not allowed to fly. So, you need to take special care.
The lady who took my nose swab in Lagos stuck it pretty deep I felt she was twirling my brain. That’s one experience I can’t forget in a hurry. The amazing thing, however, was the speed with which the result came out. Took much less than 24 hours.

Boarding the flight
After all the initial checks where they looked through your negative test result and ensured you have a hotel book, boarding the flight itself was not stressful at all.

Arriving in Canada
I guess this was where the next phase of checks began. Right after exiting the plane, we met a couple of border services officers who made sure we had the ArriveCAN details filled out and also that you had legal reasons to enter Canada (i.e. you are a permanent resident who isn’t coming for the first time, or a Canadian citizen). Afterwards, you go through the normal checks which include declaring what you have come with (food, money, etc.) and how long you have spent outside of Canada. Before allowing you entry into your first point of entry, they checked (using the confirmation code) that you have a hotel booked already and that you have your ArriveCAN details. I’m not exactly sure you’ll be allowed into the country if you do not have a hotel booked. Perhaps they’ll sort this out with you privately.
Once in the country you meet a couple of health professionals from SwitchHealth, at least in Toronto, who walk you through the process of getting tested. The flight was barely full since I’m guessing everyone decided against flying in these early days. So, there was no queue. You fill an online form which includes providing your details, including the address where you will be quarantining. Then they take you to a cubicle where a nose swab is taken. Once done, you are led to an area where you wait for the shuttle to the hotel, if you hotel is outside of the airport. The whole process was incredibly smooth with no delays. The nose swab I got this time was also very gentle.

At the hotel
Things start to progress a little more normally here. The hotel checks you in and provides you the new set of Covid guidelines you should follow while staying at the hotel. The most restrictive is that you only get 15mins outside your room each day while you await your test result. The most financially impactful is that you do not get a refund even if you spend less than 1-2 days at the hotel. Perhaps some hotels are offering refunds, but the one I stayed at (Sheraton Gateway) offered no refund.
There’s little to do at the hotel besides making calls to friends, watching TV, movies, reading, or eating. For food, there’s an order website where you place orders at different times of the day for the food you want. Your food is then dropped at your door. Everything is included in the original bill paid for the hotel. I paid $1300 for the hotel I stayed in. This included meals, cleaning, the room, and all others. For meals, there is a $125 charge which if you exceed you have to pay for out of pocket.
I left the hotel the next day after receiving my negative Covid result. Apparently, one could stay for longer until one uses up all the 3 days, but I had really no time to waste.
After leaving the hotel, connecting to the next destination was pretty straightforward. Westjet was generous enough to not charge me any additional fee for rebooking my flight after I told them I was in government-ordered quarantine. This looks like something they already have a standing procedure for and it seems they aren’t willing to burden people with additional fees.

At the house
This is where the remainder 14-day quarantine starts. You report daily your situation on the ArriveCAN app, telling the government that all is well with you. You are also not supposed to leave the house or come in contact with anyone else. This is where I am at the moment. After 14 days, another test follows. On arrival at the airport, I was given a home-test kit with which I will conduct the Covid test after 14 days. I don’t know how this goes yet, but my guess is that I’ll take the swab myself and someone will probably come pick it up. I’m yet to get there or to open the kit. When I do, I’ll update this post.

In the end, I spent about $1300 for the hotel and nothing more.
One more thing: one of the Westjet attendants I spoke to at the airport told me some Canadians and PR's were not booking hotels or staying in the 3-day quarantine. Instead, they were opting for the fines, which, according to him, was only $850, much less than the cost of the hotel. I haven't really looked into this claim myself, but I know there's been some storm lately on Twitter regarding rejecting the government-imposed quarantine.

Thanks for reaching out, I didn't see your message on time,I later used the atm with my naira MasterCard. I really appreciate.

Xeedee:
If #360 is okay by u let me know

$200 CAD NEEDED,PLS TELL ME YOUR RATE

Please I still need help

Cherrymia:
Good day everyone ,please I need urgent 200CAD,anyone willing to sell,please tell me your rate.thanks

Good day everyone ,please I need urgent 200CAD,anyone willing to sell,please tell me your rate.thanks

Ok,great.

nonen:
Hi Cherrymia,
Thanks for your thoughts. Seeing the doctor is not the problem, but getting them to give you a specific prescription that works for you is the problem. I’ve got someone to help though

Hi,you can also download telus health app and have a virtual appointment with a doctor that can give you referrals if need be or provide the prescription you need to get the medication in Canada.

nonen:
Please I need some help from anyone who is coming to Ontario, Canada in the coming weeks this January.
Someone in my immediate family has a common medical condition that requires a medication, which is not accessible over the shelves here, and we have not been able to get the doctors to prescribe the particular medication during visits to the hospitals, as that is not the standard practice here.

Please I need the help of someone who can buy the medication from any credible pharmacy in Nigeria and bring it down on his/her trip. The medication we came with is exhausted. All expenses will be taken care of.

Please reach me on WhatsApp on +1 437-225-6640

Thanks

Thank you.

Bourne007:
Not sure exactly where on this page but someone applied with an expired passport. UKVI is surely aware of the situation and difficulty of passport renewal so your sister wouldn't be refused for submitting one.

Hello house,please I need urgent help for my sister,is there any way of renewing passport before Jan 31,visa is expiring soon and she needs to renew her passport and visa,any idea on how she can renew it speedily.please help!home office closed on the day of her appointment.

You have done the interview?how?Canada visa interview?ogbeni it's either you are the scammer or the scammee ...peace[Qquote author=Fynestboi20 post=96238212]

Is visa. Have done that interview[/quote]

So sorry,I have none left for now.

chicmoniq:
Hi Cherrymia. I’m also looking to exchange naira for CAD.

Do u still need the CAD?

cochtrane:
Anyone with CAD at a rate of 320 should please reach out to me. Trying to get some. Thanks

Rynlesh:
No. I just booked my ticket on 7th of this month.

ok ,thank you.

Rynlesh:
I just checked airfrance, unfortunately there’s no flight going from abuja nor lagos till November on their website.
Thanks for the info.
I have actually booked with Ethiopian air. I will be flying from cotonuo.

Hi please did you book your ticket before lockdown?if yes,how much did it cost you to reroute your ticket??

oginnite:
is the ticket non refundable. Will advice you apply for refund while you book a fresh ticket from Lagos-Toronto

The issue is that I want to travel through cotonu airport soon and I don't know how long it will take to process a refund.Are there flights leaving from Lagos?

Hi ,please does anyone know the cost of rerouting a flight ticket? I booked a flight on Ethiopian airlines from ph to Canada before the lockdown,and right now I am considering going through cotonu airport please I need advice from those that have an idea or experience.thanks.

[b][/b]Really enjoyed your gist.I have been a silent guest/reader.please I have a quick question as we also have a ticket booked before the lock down.How did you reroute the ticket and please can tell me the cost of going to cotonu airport. Thanks

Canny19:
The cute lady beside me slept for the better part of the journey while I was finding it hard to sleep. I was calm tho cos I got TCC (travel clearance certificate) from my village ppl and they already promised not to follow me to Canada. So I had nothing to worry about.

Landed in Edmonton and saw that one of my checked in bags was ripped. I wasn't surprised tho cos the bag had a whole lot of orisirisi and panti foodstuffs.
Stepped out of the airport and was greeted with cold but I decided not to use my jacket, I got shocked when my host came wearing armless and said the weather was warm... Ki lo warm exactly? Are you people playing me ni? It was at that moment I started dreading winter. As I type this, my jacket is on while people are wearing pants n bra outside my window ��

I'm settling in quite well even tho I'm still in shock how 10pm can be looking like 4pm and 5am be looking like 9am. There's no way one can predict the time by looking outside in this country.

It's time to start 'living life' as opposed to just 'merely existing' in Nigeria

I'm finally HOME. 10/7/20
Home is where an average person can afford 3 square meals per day. Home is where security is well guaranteed. Home is where there is no huge discrepancy between the rich and the poor. Home is where our resources and funds are not being embezzled by our corrupt leaders . Home is where there are job provisions for graduates. HOME is where there is HOPE!! Home is, home is, home is, home is.................. CANADA
Have a dream and work towards making it a reality.

NB: Ignore the errors cos I hate proofreading, I bet that's why I wrote IELTS twice

Big shout outs to those who made this happen.