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Covid-19: Testing in the US - For travel to HK

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  1. #71
    Quote Originally Posted by jylee0515:
    Medical Offices of Manhattan also sound promising at the moment.

    I just called to find that this place does not provide the PCR test. I hope this policy will ease out a bit as the situation in HK gets better. It is still almost impossible to get the test result back within the time frame that the HK government wants.
    That's disappointing to hear. I do know of someone who says they were successful getting this done at Tisch Hospital in NYC. New York honestly sounds like the hardest place to do it. I'm working with ArcPoint labs for mine but their locations are in New England, closer to Philadelphia or throughout the south.
    Last edited by prospectiveHKer; 22-08-2020 at 02:16 AM.
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  2. #72

    Could you provide more information about ArcPoint Labs that you are working with? I checked that Prestige Infusion lab in Northern NJ was well aware of the HK government requirements. If ArcPoint is closer to Philadelphia, it would be better for me. Thanks!


  3. #73
    Quote Originally Posted by jylee0515:
    Could you provide more information about ArcPoint Labs that you are working with? I checked that Prestige Infusion lab in Northern NJ was well aware of the HK government requirements. If ArcPoint is closer to Philadelphia, it would be better for me. Thanks!
    They have locations all over the eastern seaboard, with one in Trenton, NJ and a few around the Philadelphia suburbs. Some in Maryland too it seems (https://www.arcpointlabs.com/locations-by-state/) They told me they do results in 48 hours, outsourced to a lab in Florida. They have some accreditation info for that lab, but I was able to contact them directly for more.

  4. #74
    Quote Originally Posted by prospectiveHKer:
    They have locations all over the eastern seaboard, with one in Trenton, NJ and a few around the Philadelphia suburbs. Some in Maryland too it seems (https://www.arcpointlabs.com/locations-by-state/) They told me they do results in 48 hours, outsourced to a lab in Florida. They have some accreditation info for that lab, but I was able to contact them directly for more.
    Thank you so much! I just called one in DC. They are well aware of the HK requirements (old/tougher one)!

    Prestige infusion lab said the test is covered by insurance. For this lab, I didn't ask about the insurance coverage but the cost is $270.

  5. #75

    I finally made it to HK! For flying out of JFK, NYU Langone worked best for me for getting the pretest, returning the results the same night I took the test. I had some issues with ArcPoint's report presenting some potential issues that could have led to arguments at the airport, so was glad I had NYU Langone as a backup. Feel free to let me know if you have any other questions about the process of traveling into HK now, from the US, another "high risk country," or anywhere else - or about quarantine.

    shri likes this.

  6. #76

    Join Date
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    Welcome to China.

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  7. #77

    Congratulations!

    Two questions if you don't mind.
    (1) Could you describe what potential arguments you expected about the ArcPoint's report?
    (2) What quarantine hotel did you reserve?

    Thanks!


  8. #78
    Quote Originally Posted by jylee0515:
    Congratulations!

    Two questions if you don't mind.
    (1) Could you describe what potential arguments you expected about the ArcPoint's report?
    (2) What quarantine hotel did you reserve?

    Thanks!
    ArcPoint contracted out to another lab called Access for analysis, which was the lab that actually has US government accreditation. That would be fine if Access hadn't put the wrong sample collection time on my report, making it look like I was outside the 72 hour testing window. They also only put my middle initial down and not my full name (an issue because the name is supposed to match your passport exactly.) I had anticipated any problems and had ArcPoint do a cover letter per the HK guidelines for any missing information in the report, including my full name and the sample collection time (among other things), but it created potential confusion by including an alternative sample collection time and coming from them (not bearing the name of the accredited lab) and not Access, the accredited lab. I called and emailed the entire day before the flight to try and get the actual lab report changed, but ArcPoint ghosted me.

    The day before the flight I was also in touch with Cathay and they said the ArcPoint/Access documents would probably work but when I got to the airport said that they were actually glad I had a second test done because I might have had issues at HKIA with the ArcPoint/Access docs, especially with the middle initial instead of middle name (!) I was actually lucky when I got to HKIA that the evaluators didn't just make up stricter requirements for me like they were for some people, naming more narrow pretesting windows than the HK regs require, for example.

    For quarantine I'm at the Lan Kwai Fong Hotel, which is fine (and not actually in Lan Kwai Fong, which is just fine by me although I imagine it's not that noisy these days anyway.) I've seen recommendations for places people say are doing an incredible job with quarantine programming, or are very spacious, but I don't really need the special attention and they tended to be outside my price range.If you're coming from a "high risk country" you have a smaller choice of hotels, by the way, since fewer will take you.
    shri likes this.

  9. #79

    Thanks for the information! I have no choice but ArcPoint at this point. I will make sure for them to put the accurate collection time and my name. The big concern is the name difference between the collection lab and lab report...


  10. #80
    Quote Originally Posted by jylee0515:
    Thanks for the information! I have no choice but ArcPoint at this point. I will make sure for them to put the accurate collection time and my name. The big concern is the name difference between the collection lab and lab report...
    Get a cover letter too with your full name and have them say they are working with the government-accredited Access (fortunately, the lab report says the sample came from ArcPoint, so these will line up.) Have them put it on letterhead if possible, also, so it doesn't look like a forgery.
    jylee0515 likes this.

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