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Passengers flying from London Heathrow to Hong Kong and Italy will be able to take a rapid Covid-19 test at the airport before checking in starting Tuesday.
The test costs £ 80 and the results will be available within an hour.
The goal is to provide rapid Covid-19 testing for passengers traveling to destinations that require pre-departure testing, including Hong Kong and Italy.
British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Cathay Pacific, which fly routes that require pre-departure testing, will be the first airlines to offer it, according to the two companies conducting the tests, Collinson, a health and safety firm, and Swissport, the cargo and land handling company.
A nose and throat swab will be taken to detect Covid-19. The test is known as a loop (lamp) mediated isothermal amplification test. It differs from a PCR test, which is used by the NHS, because it can be quickly processed without sending it to a laboratory.
What are the quarantine rules?
Anyone entering England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from anywhere that is not on that country’s exempt travel broker list is required to enter self-isolation for 14 days.
What if the rules are not the same between different countries in the UK?
You cannot circumvent the rules by using a different airport. For example, as of September 4, travelers returning to Wales and Scotland from Portugal must be quarantined. This is true even if they fly into an English airport, even though Portugal is still on England’s green list.
How are the rules enforced?
All people entering the UK, including British citizens, are required to complete a passenger locator form, regardless of whether or not they need to self-quarantine. The form asks travelers to provide their contact details and UK address.
If someone who needs to isolate does not provide an address, the government will arrange accommodation at the traveler’s expense.
What does the quarantine mean that you can’t do?
For 14 days, starting the day after arrival, quarantined people should not:
- Go to work, school or public areas.
- Have visitors, except essential support.
- Go shopping for food or other essentials, if they can trust others to do it for them.
- Please use taxis or public transport to reach your destination upon arrival in the UK, if possible.
- Use public transportation or taxis once at your destination.
The quarantine rules apply to everyone except select groups of people, such as freight drivers, very regular business travelers, and politicians or other dignitaries.
How do I find out which countries are on the list?
Travel restrictions are frequently updated and available on the relevant government and administrative websites linked here, with separate lists covering England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The tests will be performed by Collinson nurses at the new facilities in Heathrow Terminals 2 and 5. Passengers must book their test online with Collinson before going to the airport.
The swab will be processed at the airport by staff from one of Collinson’s biotech partners, Prenetics.
The lamp test is less sensitive than the PCR test, but is considered better than an antigen test, another quick option.
John Holland-Kaye, Chief Executive Officer of Heathrow Airport, said: “Many other countries are already using tests to keep their borders secure while restarting trade and travel. These facilities will facilitate the task of passengers traveling to those countries for testing and will have the potential to provide a service to arriving passengers ”.
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Collinson and Swissport have built a test-on-arrival facility at Heathrow that needs UK government approval before it can be used. The aviation industry is urging the government to launch a testing regime that provides a safe alternative to the 14-day quarantine.
The news comes a day after Grant Shapps, the UK transport secretary, said that a “test and release system” to reduce the quarantine period for international arrivals to the UK should be in place on 1 December. .
David Evans, Collinson’s Joint Chief Executive Officer, said: “With countries around the world adding the UK to their list of ‘high risk’ countries, we need to find a way to work with governments, leading travel brands and others. business entities to open trips outside the UK. “
