Covid-19 Testing

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Viewing 11 posts - 16 through 26 (of 26 total)

  • fatbear
    Participant

    We ended up getting our tests at the Mayfield Clinic in Oxford – pretty expensive but got the results within 36 hours of taking the test


    Polly
    Participant

    Terry,
    No movement then on the situation in Thailand, or even hope for the islands…crazy situation then ongoing. So Kingston got out, or leaving soon ? and quarantine in SIN, hope that’s going well for them…what a shambles. Our trip completely cancelled now. Would have happily done the Q in the Anantara villa in HKT with 2 further weeks in our normal place, but they want us there for 90 days. Not going to happen with their mind changing madness. Well warned off by you all, thank you. Just feel really sorry for all the folks with no work now.

    1 user thanked author for this post.

    K1ngston
    Participant

    [postquote quote=1013953][/postquote]

    Hi Polly, thanks for enquiring, we have now got our SHN notice (well I have) my husband is Singaporean so he doesn’t need one, we have a date of 15th Nov for our repatriation flight so we will drive to Bangkok on the 10th as we have to sort out our animals a few days before we fly and also complete our health declarations 3 days before we fly, and when we land into SIN at about 10pm on that day we will be carted off to 14 days SHN and the animals for 30 days!

    14 days quarantine in Singapore is a bit of a lottery as to what type of accommodation we will get it is luck of the draw at the moment, we will not be allowed to share a room as of course Singapore doesn’t recognize Gay Marriage, but I think we have also agreed that spending 14 days in the same hotel room, when I need to work would be a stretch on both of us so perhaps staying separately is not a bad thing but still would like the opportunity to say no as opposed to being told so! The cost for SHN for me is $2000SGD plus $300 for COVID test at the end of the quarantine period, and for my husband zero as he is a citizen! The irony is he will probably get the Shangri La and I the La de Shang that well known 1 star establishment out in the east :). Oh yes and we have to bring our own digital thermometer!

    The situation here in Thailand Polly is still as confusing as ever and there is a fine black market in visa representatives making large amounts sorting out our friends here to ensure they can stay, one friend just paid 21,000 THB for a multi entry 1 year visa ( fine you say but you can fly but getting back in is the issue) they are still talking about remaining shut for business until at least March -April 2021 which of course takes this holiday season out of the equation… Have to feel desperately sorry for the locals still……

    4 users thanked author for this post.

    EasternPedlar
    Participant

    COVID testing in the UK is still highly overpriced. Th RT/PCR test that most countries require costs about £165 with a reasonable turnaround (36-48 hours). The few clinics that charge a little less offer a far longer turnaround time (3 days +) which might result in the testing deadline being missed. Sad to see that the profiteering continues unabated!

    Heathrow’s pre-departure test is offered for a limited number of destinations, and is some kind of antigen test which is not accepted by many countries, so it isn’t useful for all travellers. If the good folks at BT are following this thread, there might be an opportunity to do a story on this and point readers in the direction of labs that are willing to be more reasonable!

    3 users thanked author for this post.

    MartynSinclair
    Participant

    https://news.sky.com/story/paris-overtakes-heathrow-as-europes-largest-airport-12116633

    Why is John Holland Kaye, continually bleating on just about the covid tests to get his business moving again.

    “Britain is falling behind because we’ve been too slow to embrace passenger testing.”

    “Let’s make Britain a winner again.”

    Heathrow airport remains empty in part, by the business sector of the UK, simply because, the business sector of the UK have no where they can go (apart from Dubai) in an effective/efficient manner, without the need for PSQ. To make Britain a winner again and stop us falling further behind, UK travellers need the freedom to travel into the world of business and commerce. The promised travel bubbles/corridors are all one way, letting people INTO the UK. Some businesses can only thrive by being let out of the UK…

    John Holland Kaye may have succeeded in delivering testing facilities to Heathrow, but he has FAILED to get any passenger to benefit.

    3 users thanked author for this post.

    TonyR
    Participant

    Yes, definitely check the test is accepted. The full nasal/throat swab PCR test is but the saliva and other tests aren’t accepted everywhere. Also I would recommend go in person to be tested – don’t risk the extra delay of the kit in the post schemes – and make sure they are absolutely clear when you need the test results by. We were one of about 20 people at check-in waiting for our results to come through from the airline recommended lab. Only one of us got on and our results didn’t arrive until 10 hours after the flight left even though we had had it taken the maximum 72hrs before departure. Your certificate acceptability expires at 72 or 96hrs so you need then to go round the loop again if you don’t get your results in time. Look very carefully at who is doing the test. There seem to be quite a few pop-up labs with lots of enthusiasmn to capitalise on testing demand but without the capability to do it or do it properly. It’s all a bit wild west frontier out there on travel testing at the moment.

    2 users thanked author for this post.

    Polly
    Participant

    TonyR
    That’s alarming you didn’t make your flight. If the airline recommended the lab, and they failed to produce the results in time, who covers your costs if the flight has to be changed etc? Did the airline put you on the next flight available? Won’t ask which airline tho!


    TonyR
    Participant

    [postquote quote=1014313][/postquote]

    Of course you know the answer to that Polly – it’s our responsibility to have the right paperwork! We got a flight a week later as you have to go back round the loop of booking and having a test. The flights came out slightly cheaper so we got a voucher for the difference but when we delayed our flights back which were more expensive we were told we could only use the vouchers to pay for new flight not changing the existing flights for which they were issued. So beware the voucher rachet/racket!

    We plan to follow up getting a refund on the first tests when we get back – if the company is still in business!!!

    1 user thanked author for this post.

    SimonS1
    Participant

    It is a lottery, but he bottle neck is with the labs. I had a test last week for travel and the clinic I use had just switched their testing to Randox. Despite the tests going to Northern Ireland for processing it was delivered within 12 hours and I had the result within 36 hours.

    Some of the models promoted by airlines seem to be very iffy, presumably motivated by commercial considerations rather than getting the job done.

    1 user thanked author for this post.

    TonyR
    Participant

    [postquote quote=1014415][/postquote]

    The testing situation is still very volatile. In August Randox, which is one of the biggest test labs had to do a recall on almost a million UK test kits and then in October Roche, who supply a lot of the swabs and chemicals for the tests had a major logistics glitch in the Uk that cut test capacity significantly.

    One of the consequences was a squeeze on capacity to do private testing which resulted in a number of organisations popping up to take advantage of the situation often with different test methodologies such as saliva testing rather than nasal/throat swabs. Not all of the labs knew what they were doing and some were offering beyond their capabilities which is where a lot of problems have come in.

    On top of that there is only one gold standard test that is internationally accepted and that is a nasal/throat swab PCR test. Unfortunately a lot of people in the travel industry have been recommending suppliers who don’t do that. The recent examples are the Sofitel LHR T5 testing which is a saliva PCR test and several of the ones being trialled at Heathrow. Only the Heathrow Collinson/Swissport testing appears to meet the internationally accepted standard. Its not to say those other tests aren’t valid testing methods but they aren’t widely accepted and are causing confusion, especially with brands like Sofitel, Heathrow and some major airlines recommending them.

    So if you want to be safe, look for a private lab that does a PCR antigen test on nasal and/or throat swabs and can get the results back with the time window for your destination.

    HTH

    2 users thanked author for this post.

    Ossiatom
    Participant

    We also got our results within 24 hours in concepto clinics.

Viewing 11 posts - 16 through 26 (of 26 total)
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