[ASK1945]

[quote quote=1102400]I spoke to DAM again this morning who confirmed their negative PCR swab will get me onto a BA flight to Europe, the only destinations their swabs are not recognised for are HKG and Jersey who require a higher degree of accuracy for PCR| tests.[/quote]

Like you, Martyn, I am very confused. I have also been researching what kind of PCR is required and did not pick up on this comment about Jersey (one of the places I am looking at). However, also I am confused about the actuality of what was reported earlier in this thread – about self-administered tests being acceptable – and what I have been learning about various countries’ requirements.

Personally, wherever I plan to fly, I will go for the highest level of test and will not go for a self-administered one, whatever I am told otherwise in this thread.

[MartynSinclair]

[quote quote=1102403]Personally, wherever I plan to fly, I will go for the highest level of test and will not go for a self-administered one, whatever I am told otherwise in this thread.[/quote]

Agree with your comment ASK1945 – too stressful to go for a 48 hour result timeline as it leaves very little room if there are problems with paperwork. Whilst I am sure a self test may be cheaper, there is an added delay of me getting it somewhere for it to be sent off for result. For a 72 hour trip, I would prefer to keep the testing as easy and efficient as possible.

I am being tested by DAM in High Wycombe 48 hours before departure, as it is convenient for a meeting in Marlow. Result within 24 hours which should be 24 hours before departure. Arrive in Malta then I need to take a return test the following day…

Not sure I will go for the test and release on day 5. It will take 1 or 2 days for the result to come through and I have a pre arranged hospital appointments anyway on day 1 and 8, so I will likely just sit it out in the garden apart from going out for hospital appointment, which I believe is permitted.

One additional irritation, I accept there always has to be an exemption list for certain jobs that will get a free pass for zero quarantine, even though they need to take the same day 2 and 8 tests. But those that are exempt, are still travelling in the same passenger cabins (apart from the pilots), mixing in the same terminal and still accessing the same shops. The virus we are told does not discriminate over jobs, but people. Either it is safe to avoid quarantine or it is not safe… but seriously, postal workers, rail workers, high speed 2 workers…. I am sure its all risk based considered by experts, just a shame I didn’t manage to secure my second job as a tube driver….

Thanks for the help on this thread, it really is an education…

[TonyR]

The irritation for me is if you have a test on Day 5 and its negative you are free immediately but have the same test on Day 8 and its negative you aren’t free until Day 11.

[MartynSinclair]

@ASK1945 – if you still need clarity, go to Jade Chemist opposite the Nat West by the roundabout (opposite Grods), everything you need to know and more. They can do the test. Main difference between the £100 (48 hours) and £149 (next day) test. £100 test you need to send at the post office, £149 test, a courier picks the sample up within 40 minutes of taking the test and delivers to lab. Guaranteed result (£149) by 00.59 day after the test. You can either do the test yourself or the clinician can do it.

Also a mind of knowledge for the return tests…

I have already paid for DAM, but will use for return.

check out – http://www.theexpressclinic.com

[ASK1945]

Thanks Martyn for the info.

I have been researching entry into Israel. Currently, not only do you need to be double vaccinated, have a “recognised” pre-flight PCR checked as you get off the plane, but another PCR is taken then.

What is not well known is that you also need a serology test if you are not a citizen. There is a facility off-site near the airport to get this, which takes 12 hours or so to produce a result. The complication is that it is only open for slightly longer than normal office hours, closes early on a Friday, so arrivals on Thursday night, Friday oe Saturday don’t get a result until Sunday at the earliest. Until the result is received by you and the Health Ministry, you have to go into isolation. If you have a flat, or a private home to go to, that’s straightforward. But, if you go to a hotel, they won’t let you in without the serology certificate – so you are “stuffed”; a vile quarantine hotel awaits you.

I have spoken to people caught during the last few days; fortunately all went to flats. But a common concern is the disaster awaiting when Israel opens up fully to tourists from July 1st, when entry visas will once again not be required, and numbers increase exponentially.

[FaroFlyer]

[postquote quote=1102406]

Hi Martyn,

I am also looking into the Day 5 release. Collinson guarantee same day release if test is taken before 4PM

[marissaadrianna83]

I am making an attempt for a 3 day trip to Malta (Amber). I live close enough to Heathrow to go and get my predeparture test there. Can someone explain the difference between

https://www.heathrow.com/at-the-airport/fly-safe/covid-19-test

PCR Fit to fly – cost £59 – result next day by 10pm

PCR – cost £99 – result in 48 hours

I am also trying to understand whether you need to attend a clinic for the test or whether you can do the test yourself.

Are the 2 and 8 day test the same PCR test or a different kind of test.

All very confusing … (to me anyway)….

Timing appears absolutely critical, with a 9.30am departure, I really need a result next day, not 48 hours later….

Many thanks

please tell me whether it is necessary to visit the clinic to take the test. or can it be done at home?
Thank you

[MartynSinclair]

I wonder how this will play out.. I believe there was a similar discussion re the Champions league final (2 English clubs having to fly to Portugal along with fans, when the game could & should have been played at Wembley).

Football bigwigs demanding the rules to suit them……

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9699193/Uefa-threatens-strip-Wembley-Euro-2020-final-unless-VIPs-allowed-WITHOUT-quarantining.html

[TonyR]

[postquote quote=1102738]

Formula 1 already has special dispensation to come and go although they too could hold most of their races in the UK as most of the teams are based here and they could race at Silverstone, Brands Hatch, Oulton Park, Donnington etc etc although some may need some safety work 😉

[sharon]

My son went to Lisbon for 3 nights (3-6 June 2021) and used the COLLINSON tests as recommended via the Manchester Airport website (which also has a discount code).
Outbound was flawless – he had the test and the result was emailed a few hours later with a certificate.He booked their video supervised antigen test to take place in Lisbon – I understand that supervised tests have been approved by borderforce uk.
We knew people who used them when returning. This went well – he did the test (which they send you sealed before you travel) and uploaded the results – certificate came for boarding.
All went well until he got to the gate at Lisbon. He was refused boarding as the TAP gate manager said the Collinson test was not acceptable – interesting that another family had flown TAP from Faro to Lisbon with the same Collinsons test as my son and were also refused boarding at Lisbon. It was 8 pm on a Sunday night and the last flight out – due to arrive on Sun 6th at Manchester – he was forced to buy a new ticket, pay for a new covid test and sit on the floor at Lisbon airport all night. When he boarded his flight Mon morning the gate manager said she didn’t know why he was refused boarding as the Collinson test was fully acceptable!
He is approx £600 out of pocket and TAP do not reply to any communication!

1 user thanked author for this post.

ASK1945

[GeorgeJ]

I have now used a variety of providers though I will confine my response to those in the UK, though for the record those taken outside the UK have been cheaper and quicker:

Express Test
Used for test to release at Heathrow drive through. Generally quite an efficient process on site though the result only came through at the end of the day after (within the 48 hours promised). As a result I used Collinson for the next test. Cost GBP95

Collinson
Test to release in T5 at Heathrow. The benefit is that they give a result on the same day if you take it in the morning. Since I had a ticket for Wembley the next day, this was important! The result actually arrived at 1.30am but this was acceptable. Cost with discount GBP76.

Halo
Used for day 2 and 8 test. This is a spit in the tube test pre-ordered before my return. If you live in London they will pick up from your home by courier, promised turnaround within 24 hours of receipt at the lab. The tests had arrived by the time I arrived home and the day 2 test was collected as expected and the result received early the next day. The day 8 test was due on a Sunday and the courier doesn’t pick up in outer London at weekends. Accordingly I had to book a Monday pick up which didn’t show up until late afternoon and I didn’t get the result until Tuesday 23.00. This wasn’t ideal though since I had already done test and release I only needed the test for the purposes of the legal requirement. I wouldnt use this method for test and release based on this experience. Cost GBP135 with discount.

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ASK1945

[TonyR]

My experience update:

ExpressTest LHR. Very efficient. Drove in and drove out within 10 mins at just before 18:00 and had the results back by 13:50 the next day. We were delayed getting to the testing site at LHR but they were easily contactable on the phone and sorted everything out. Cost £80

Screen4.org: Ordered our Day 2 & 8 tests online with help from their chat function (we had two different isolation addresses so needed to separate orders not one). Tests arrived by DPD with their excellent tracking in time. Tests posted back in a priority postbox during the day and results back by 08:20 two days later. Good communication – was notified when the sample arrived in the lab – 23:06 the night before we got the results so fast lab turnaround, slow Royal Mail. The same for the Day 8 test. My partner also went to their lab in Chelsea for a Day 5 Test and Release. Did the test around 13:00 and got the result emailed that evening. Cost for Day 2 & 8 – £120

1 user thanked author for this post.

ASK1945

[marissaadrianna83]

I am making an attempt for a 3 day trip to Malta (Amber). I live close enough to Heathrow to go and get my predeparture test there. Can someone explain the difference between

https://www.heathrow.com/at-the-airport/fly-safe/covid-19-test https://www.worktime.com/

PCR Fit to fly – cost £59 – result next day by 10pm

PCR – cost £99 – result in 48 hours

I am also trying to understand whether you need to attend a clinic for the test or whether you can do the test yourself.

Are the 2 and 8 day test the same PCR test or a different kind of test.

All very confusing … (to me anyway)….

Timing appears absolutely critical, with a 9.30am departure, I really need a result next day, not 48 hours later….

Many thanks

please tell me whether it is necessary to visit the clinic to take the test. or can it be done at home?
Thank you

Is £ 120 a flat fee or does it depend on which dispensary you visit?
Thank you

[MartynSinclair]

My experience of this challenging process as a non medic, just a travelling businessman.

**very confusing

**unnecessarily expensive

**way too many choices, self test, clinician test, self deliver, post deliver, courier collection, immediate, 24, 48 hour result

** how to choose which PCR test is needed, for a particular destination

** Price range from £54 through to £300 for just one test

** Hearing of private Dr’s offering ‘gold standard tests’ which in some cases are just not necessary for travel

** the return test (in my case from Malta) different tests being given to different passengers for the same flight, with no real advice available. Daily q’s of hotel guests being tested, daily!

** the day 2 , day 8 and voluntary day 5 tests – my word, I was only away for 3 nights

As for the quarantine (Malta rule changes) from this Wednesday, I got a shrug of the shoulders when I managed to find someone to ask at Heathrow yesterday, whether I needed to continue with my quarantine after 4 am Wednesday.. quote from the border control officer “no idea mate, we only know todays rules”

Then the changing landscape with the games Merkel and Macron are playing (they must really hate us Brits) plus the double standards of our own politicians.

The stats (for a 3 days trip)

Pre departure covid test – £140 (24 hour test – did not want the stress as some have described as continuously looking at phone waiting from results)
In Malta for return – Euros 130 – result in 3 hours
2 & 8 – £84 for both
Day 5 release – £200 (immediate result)

My final comments –

1. this new phrase “we are following the science” reminds me of corporates saying “we listen to our customers” – really….

2. People, please do not encourage the overpriced medical centres and private Dr’s ‘scamming you’. Support your High Street and go to a local pharmacy where you do not have to listen to Vivaldi’s 4 seasons for 30 minutes before speaking to someone & it may save a lot of time in terms of needing to go to a test centre or having the unreliability of doing a self test

3. Most worrying of all, I am listening to MOL views on the subject…

If in doubt print the description below out and make sure your test has the following: From the GOV.UK website – but this is only for pre departure…. 🙁

You must make sure that the test provider you choose can meet the standards for pre-departure testing.

The test must meet performance standards of ≥97% specificity, ≥80% sensitivity at viral loads above 100,000 copies/ml.

This could include tests such as:

a nucleic acid test, including a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test or derivative technologies, including loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) tests
an antigen test, such as a test from a lateral flow device
It’s your responsibility to ensure the test meets the minimum standards for sensitivity, specificity and viral load details. You must check with your test provider that it meets those standards.

You may not be able to travel if the test does not meet these standards. It’s your responsibility to ensure you get the right test that meets the above requirements.

3 users thanked author for this post.

GivingupBA, PeterCoultas, ASK1945

[PeterCoultas]

Martin Sinclair’s post 28-June is a perfect summary of the ridiculous performances by governments, overpriced (& often pointless) so called essential tests for travel and avoiding appalling quarantine conditions plus a total lack of clear information of any sort. The result of this nonsense is that covid infections are not remotely under control. And who to blame – politicians who use the chaos to obfuscate their responsibility. It makes one wonder if any government decisions have been thought through at all. If I can find the paperwork for some of these stupidities blowing around in a bus shelter I promise to widely circulate it

2 users thanked author for this post.

MartynSinclair, ASK1945

[Author]

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