I have a friend who loves Saint Martin more than anyplace else on the planet. That’s their go-to spot for vacations, including a trip there just a few months back. Jumping through COVID hoops for testing to get into the country, they also had to be COVID tested to return to the US.
They were surprised to hear that a rapid test would cost them $150 US dollars. They had no choice but to pay the money.
Understandably, they feared one family member would test positive and be required to quarantine for the standard 14-days. (If one partner tests positive, the spouse is sent home alone – child under 12 gets to retain one parent — otherwise, no one is allowed to quarantine with the person if they aren’t also positive.).
Upon completion of the test, they anxiously asked when they would be notified of the results. They were told, “Your test is negative. That’s what you paid for.“
They had no idea they were paying for a negative test rather than a rush on just getting tested.
How many negative tests do you think that one clinic can do in one day? Take that times a bajillion clinics, then by a gazillion locations. Go ahead… we’ll wait…
And that, kids, is only one reason we’ve gotten to the point we have with the spread of a deadly virus.
TIL (Today I Learned): In 1890 as part of a program to bring all the birds mentioned in Shakespeare’s plays to North America, 60 starlings were released in New York’s Central Park. There are now over 200 million European starlings across the US, causing billions in crop damage and deadly hazards at airports.
PS. Incoming rain photos and hopefully a boat load of snow pictures tomorrow. **fingers crossed**