San Pedro / Ambergris Caye COVID-19 Test

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jlevine

Contributor
Scuba Instructor
Divemaster
Messages
771
Reaction score
142
Location
Southern California
# of dives
200 - 499
Hi,

I'm considering coming down to San Pedro for a dive trip. I'd like to find out information about getting a COVID-19 test for returning to the United States. So here are my questions:

(1) Where are COVID-19 tests offered?
(2) Approximate price? Cash? Credit Card?
(3) What days are the tests offered?
(4) How are the results provided (print, email, etc)?
(5) How long does it take to get the results?

I appreciate your help and consideration.

Thanks!
 
I went to San Pedro about 5 months ago and post my trip report, here: Trip Report - Belize Feb 2021 Trip Report
Assuming COVID-19 test requirements and procedures haven’t changed much since then, here is what I wrote in the trip report about it:
Einer Gomez, the general manager of the resort…. graciously giving us a free Antigen test right at the resort facility (by bringing medical professional to the resort) since we stayed more than 4 days there.
We just talked to him & scheduled the right time for everyone to get the test. The results were emailed to us a couple hours later. We also could get them printed and picked them up at the front desk.
 
That's good to know about Ramon's. I also found this site while browsing around.
 
jlevine - Your accommodation should be able to provide you with testing information. Our reservation is a condominium and they sent us an email with Covid requirements and testing options.

Check with your airline website as well. There are a couple of airlines (American Airlines for sure, but I don't know which others) partnering with a home test/virtual visit provider. They send the kits to you before traveling, you take them with you, download the app, have a virtual visit where you do the test, get results on the app to show to the airline.
It was $150 for 6 tests plus shipping (I will be traveling with a few people, so the 6 is great for us). Shipping was overnight.

There are tests by appointment at the San Pedro airport as well as other locations in town. I believe the rapid tests are $75 per test.

Don't forget to check with your medical insurance company as some rebate the cost of testing.

We are going in early August - fingers crossed.
 
jlevine -
Following up in case you are still considering heading down there -
Our group of 6 used the Emed/Abbott home tests with minimal problems.

The wait times for the video test taking can vary dramatically (30 min - 3+ hours) and you have to leave the page up the whole time. We had to be near outlets because it burned through the battery life. Because we started as early as possible we were able to check different times - first thing in the morning seemed to work well. Midday was the worst.

You have to open the test while in the video visit, so if there is anything wrong with the test you need to have either an extra test with you, or (in our case) be ready to go to the testing location near you. One bottle of solution was dried out and we did not bring extra tests.

The test clinic by the San Pedro airport has a ton of appointments available and were very fast. I think 15 for the entire process and there was no wait.
We also could have arranged to have someone come to our condo for the test.

We entered all of the information into VeriFly and they verified the test results (home test as well as in clinic test results), but unfortunately American Airlines (online or app) was unable to process their vaccination travel pass. We had to check in at the airport. Ended up buying seats w/o checking in to make sure we weren't all sitting in middle seats all over the plane :D
The airport had everyone show their vaccine card/negative test before you went into the airport on the way into the country, and required the negative test result before you could complete check in for departure.
 

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