Government scraps pre-arrival covid testing and ‘Day 2’ PCR tests

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• NorthernLass says:

  5 Jan5 January 16:30

  This is awesome news! That said, our next trip is still 5 weeks away so I’m not taking anything for granted 🤣

  • Alan says:

    6 Jan6 January 00:34

    Mine isn’t for 4 months (will be the first time abroad in 2 years!) and I’m still not counting my chickens yet!

• JA says:

  5 Jan5 January 16:30

  Is this UK wide or England only?

  • NorthernLass says:

    5 Jan5 January 16:33

    Says UK, but it’s usually down to individual nations to decide for themselves. And you still can’t have a pint at a bar in Scotland …

    • Mark Janes says:

      5 Jan5 January 17:09

      To be honest, that can be risky at the best of times.

    • Luke says:

      5 Jan5 January 18:19

      Not so. You just have to wait for the server to get to your table (or use the app).

      • NorthernLass says:

        5 Jan5 January 19:20

        So – you can’t have a pint AT the bar, as I said!

  • PaulW says:

    5 Jan5 January 16:43

    as a Welshman I can confirm for Wales – pattern is – the Welsh goverment complains. Then does the same a few days later!
    Our First Ministrer still recommends no travel. Not sure what science he follows given our rates vs pretty much anywhere are higher. So we all happily head for London/Manchester and enjoy our travels!

    • NorthernLass says:

      5 Jan5 January 16:49

      As someone whose family holidays in Anglesey every year, I would guess that he wants you to benefit from all that sunshine.

    • BlueThroughCrimp says:

      5 Jan5 January 17:35

      Same in Scotland.
      Same rules, just the timing is different for the sake of being different.
      The 7 day isolation question was asked about a few weeks ago, and the FM ridiculed it, to only change to it today…

      • Rob says:

        5 Jan5 January 17:49

        I was reading the Sunday Post last weekend, being in Scotland, and it said there was a grand total of 1 person in intensive care in Scotland with omicron.

        Of course you can see this as either the great success or total failure of the policies in Scotland …

        • NorthernLass says:

          5 Jan5 January 19:21

          England has the lowest infection rate of all four nations atm!

        • Alan says:

          6 Jan6 January 00:37

          That’s just the lag for severe disease though. Plenty non-omicron in level 3 care just now although thankfully holding steady and vaccinated ward patients with omicron seem OK. Sicker patients mainly unvaccinated.

  • Patrycja says:

    5 Jan5 January 16:50

    I suspect this will be based on arrival airport. If you are flying BA via London, English rules will apply

• Tim says:

  5 Jan5 January 16:31

  Just booked Randox PCR day 2 tests. Ah well it’s only money!

  • Peter Stewart says:

    5 Jan5 January 16:52

    At least you didn’t lose any Avios. Heaven forbid!! 😀

  • bookish says:

    5 Jan5 January 17:02

    Might be able to receive a refund, I’m certainly going to try. https://covid.randox.com/home-test-kit-cancellation/

• FourWheels says:

  5 Jan5 January 16:31

  Hi – anyone know if a Collison ‘PRE-DEPARTURE’ Lateral Flow Test (the £17 one & no longer required), can now be used as the 0-2 Day Lateral Flow Test back in the UK?

  • Andrew says:

    5 Jan5 January 17:37

    No – because pre-departure orders don’t generate a number that you’ll need for your Passenger Locator Form.

• Steve says:

  5 Jan5 January 16:42

  Can Day 2 lateral be an NHS one or it has to be bought online so that reference number can be entered in PLF?

  • Harry T says:

    5 Jan5 January 16:45

    Latter.

  • Gavin454 says:

    5 Jan5 January 16:45

    Must be bought online.

  • NorthernLass says:

    5 Jan5 January 16:46

    I suspect still the latter as free tests are effectively rationed at the moment.
    Is Expert Medicals still in business?!

    • Clive says:

      5 Jan5 January 17:07

      Yes just used them for our return from Thailand today

    • Aston100 says:

      5 Jan5 January 17:07

      Expert Medicals are still in business. I ordered one of their day 2 tests a week ago.

  • e14 says:

    5 Jan5 January 16:51

    States reverting to how it was the end of last year, so an online one would be need to be purchased to get the PLF reference

  • Dean says:

    5 Jan5 January 16:56

    We travelled back from the US and used Klarity for our test before departure to UK tests with an NHS lateral flow device. They charge you £9.95, you just send them a photo of the test result to get a certificate.

    They also send you a booking reference that can be used on your passenger locator form so this should satisfy the Uk landing form requirement from Friday.

• Lee says:

  5 Jan5 January 16:48

  The PCR change doesn’t come into effect until Sunday. Annoyingly this is 5 hours after we land so we’ll still have to take one

  • Peter Stewart says:

    5 Jan5 January 16:55

    I wonder what would happen at the UK border if you just said, ‘I’ll wait here for 5 hours before crossing thanks. Save me a few quid.’

    (Totally not worth it, and I’m not suggesting it, but I do wonder how they’d respond.)

    • ChrisC says:

      5 Jan5 January 17:03

      Don’t you have to put flight number on the PLF that is linked to your passport number and they can see on their screens?

      Also isn’t lying on the PLF a crime?

      Also being in the arrivals part of an airport isn’t can’t be a nice experience – anywhere to get a coffee? – and security might take an interest if they see you lurking for a long time

  • PIL says:

    5 Jan5 January 17:04

    Where is that reference about Sunday for PCR?

    Rules have not changed yet on the official website: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-to-england-from-another-country-during-coronavirus-covid-19

    • Andrew says:

      5 Jan5 January 17:38

      Where all major travel announcements are made – Grant Shapps’ Twitter feed.

      • PIL says:

        5 Jan5 January 18:03

        Oh well, need to create a twitter I guess! It has now been changed in the official guidance and stands true 🙁

    • ChrisC says:

      5 Jan5 January 17:43

      Takes a while for these things to get updatedTakes a little period for these things to get updated.

• JLNF says:

  5 Jan5 January 16:51

  Excellent! We are flying back into UK on Saturday… does the requirement for the day 0-2 PCR get dropped/switched for the lateral flow at the same time as the dropping of the requirement for the 2 days pre travel lateral flow? Or is that at a slightly later date? (I have of course paid for all these tests….but never mind…).

  • JLNF says:

    5 Jan5 January 16:52

    Ah / just seen the comment above. We will do doing our PCR test after all.

• ankomonkey says:

  5 Jan5 January 16:59

  Nice! What’s the betting the PCR tests and pre-UK flight LFTs will be back for school Feb half-term, then again for Easter, etc.?

  • Aston100 says:

    5 Jan5 January 17:10

    Does seem to follow UK school holidays doesn’t it?
    (Yes, I’m annoyed by the £59 Halo terminal 5 test and some pre departure tests the other day).

  • OCN says:

    5 Jan5 January 18:17

    Absolutely with you..and don’t forget the holidays in May 🙂

  • Geoff 1977 says:

    5 Jan5 January 20:32

    The odds are quite high I’d guess!

    Although everyone on here thought things would be back to 2019 normal by August 2020 🤣

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