This is a first weekend in my favorite city! What a pity I cannot go outside and explore, especially when the Sun is this inviting and shining so bright. Despite the quarantine and nice weather outside, I am thrilled to start a new day and enjoy the inside.
I do not have any special plans for today except staying in my comfortable Parkside Residence unit, so I decided to go with the flow. Regular morning shower with my favorite music on, brushing teeth, choosing which sweatpants I want to wear today. I check my social media, send a few messages and schedule a few video-calls with my friends I have not talked to yet.
After I complete it all, I open my personal email account where I find two important messages staring at me from my inbox – RapidScreen and ArriveCAN. “How thoughtful!”, I said. I forgot to check-in today at both apps that monitor health of travelers entering Canada. It is required to complete your check-in during morning hours, so I am still on time. It is the traveler’s responsibility to let the authorities know about their health condition, since their very first day of quarantine. Let’s have a closer look at how this works:
App #1: ILAC’s Memotext app includes a short self-assessment form which is super easy to fill in and its process is very quick. It takes me up to 2 minutes to complete it. You enter the application via a specific link you can find in your email notification. The form contains four questions with pre-arranged answers, from which you just need to choose the one that reflects your current state. The second question is about your body temperature, so all you need to do is to measure it, and type in the result. That is one of the reasons why it is required to bring your own thermometer from home, as mentioned in the materials and recommendations emailed by ILAC Accommodation Department. Once you pass all four questions, you receive an email confirmation that you have completed the screener and have passed. You will find within the email a cute picture of an animal such as turtle or squirrel, which you should keep handy in case you receive a random check call.
App #2: ArriveCAN app is as simple as Memotext, if not even simpler. You should have this app already downloaded in your cell phone, where you also receive the notifications to complete your personal check-in for a new day. Each person might have a different experience with the app based on their health condition. I always answer only one question if I am feeling any symptoms related to Covid-19. As I am feeling well and healthy, my answer is always no. Once I submit my answer, the system generates automatic thank you message. Easy!
I finished my day by making a purchase on Canadian Amazon. I did not pack some necessary things due to limited luggage space. I am interested how fast the delivery can be in big city as Toronto! Good night!