[TonyR]

Just a heads up for those with travel plans following my recent experience. Now that there are no NHS PCR or LF tests, just home Lateral Flow tests, if you have recently tested positive on LF or had symptoms, pay for an official test.

Otherwise if you subsequently test positive for travel with the more sensitive PCR test because of residual virus that can persist for 90 days, the only way you can get a COVID Recovery Form to travel is if you had an official positive test more than 7 days previous.

If you didn’t do a paid for test at the time you were infected, your 7 days will start from your pre-flight test date which is generally less than 3 days before you travel. So you won’t be able to get your COVOD Recovery Letter (readily available online) until four days after your original planned travel date.

My Fit to Fly PCR test came back positive even though my self administered Lateral Flow the same morning was negative and my positive LF test had been two weeks previous. Fortunately where I was heading accepted rapid antigen (i.e Lateral Flow) tests taken less than 24hrs before arrival so a quick trip to a Randox lab and I had a negative certificate to travel but otherwise I would have had to postpone for a week and taken another test to get a COVID Recovery Letter to travel.

Just one of the nuances I hadn’t thought about with the withdrawal of NHS testing.

[Eastbourneguy]

You an buy LFT at lots of supermarkets for example Tesco sell 2 for £2

The NHS services were not meant to be used for travel purposes

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GreenScot

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