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PCR tests and self-isolation: What are the new rules for travellers?



PCR tests and self-isolation are back for travellers arriving in the UK. Weeks after international travel rules were eased to allow cheaper and faster lateral flow (antigen) tests, the government has tightening restrictions once again in response to the spread of the omicron variant of coronavirus.

At the same time, the previously dormant red list has been expanded and now applies to arrivals from 10 southern African nations.

These are the key questions and answers.

What are the new rules for travellers to the UK?

Anyone arriving from a red list nation – currently South Africa, Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe – must register for hotel quarantine for 11 nights at a cost of up to £2,285, which includes all meals and two PCR tests.

From all other countries (except the Republic of Ireland), the rules depend on the traveller’s vaccination status.

Fully vaccinated travellers (and children aged 5-17 travelling with them) arriving after 4am on Tuesday 30 November must book a PCR test to be taken on arrival (or one of the two following days).

The government says: “After 04:00 Tuesday 30 November 2021 lateral flow tests will no longer be accepted.”

You cannot use an NHS test for international travel; you must use a private test provider.

PCR tests are more expensive and slower to process, but allow positive tests to be sequenced to identify whether the omicron variant is involved.

The traveller must also self-isolate on arrival until a negative result is received.

All travellers must complete a passenger locator form within the 48 hours before arrival.

The government says the system is currently being updated and people arriving after 4am on Tuesday will need to wait until 4am on Monday to complete the form.

For the avoidance of doubt, arrivals from the Common Travel Area (Channel Islands, Ireland, Isle of Man) require neither testing nor quarantine.

What if the test is positive or inconclusive?

Anyone who tests positive must isolate for 10 full days after arrival. If you arrived at 12 noon on Wednesday 1 December, you must isolate until midnight at the end of Saturday 11 December.

The government says: “If you took a PCR test and the result is unclear, you self-isolate for 10 full days. You can choose to take another private test. If the result is negative, you can stop self-isolating.”

What if the test result doesn’t come back when it should?

You have to quarantine until it does, up to a maximum of two weeks.

The government says: “If your PCR test results are delayed, you must self-isolate until your test result is known or until day 14 after arrival, whichever is sooner.”

I thought I had to take the test on day two?

That is a widely held but mistaken view. You can take the test any time from immediately after arrival in the UK to the end of the second full day after arrival.

There will be a strong incentive to have the test at the airport. While PCR tests take much longer to analyse than the lateral flow variety, some airport testing centres can process the results in less than three hours, allowing travellers to leave self-isolation soon after arrival in the UK.

Does anything change for unvaccinated travellers?

No: they are still required to take a pre-departure test, take PCR tests on days two and eight after arrival and self-isolate for 10 days.

What does self-isolation involve?

It is a rigorous requirement that does not allow the traveller to leave their dwelling except in a few very closely defined circumstances.

From the arrival airport, sea port or international railway station, the government says: “You must travel directly to the place you’re staying.” If this is a long journey that cannot be completed in a day you are permitted to stay somewhere overnight.

“Only use public transport if you have no other option,” the government says.

“You must quarantine in one place for the full quarantine period, where you can have food and other necessities delivered.”

Anyone planning to leave the UK before the 10 days is up can do so, as long as they travel direct to the airport, port or international rail terminal. They are still required to pay for the PCR test.

Can I leave to go shopping or walk the dog?

No. The government says: “Unless you’re at risk of harm, you cannot leave the premises where you’re in quarantine. You must only exercise inside the place where you’re quarantining or in the garden.

“You must not go shopping. You cannot leave to walk your dog. You will need to ask friends or relatives to help you with this.”

Visitors, including friends and family, are not permitted unless they are providing care or assistance, veterinary services or “certain critical public services”.

You can leave the location for a test if you have booked it at an outside location.

If your test is delivered and self-administered, and there is no one in your household or bubble who can post the test for processing, you can leave the premises to post your test.

I already have a lateral flow test booked. What are my options?

Many people have ordered test-at-home kits for postal use. This was a rational decision on the basis that there was no time pressure.

The government now says: “After 4am Tuesday 30 November 2021 lateral flow tests will no longer be accepted and all travellers arriving into UK will be required to book and take Covid-19 PCR tests.”

Some testing companies are responding decently: making immediate refunds to people with lateral flow tests booked that are now worthless.

If you have yet to receive the kit – or are planning to go to a test centre – a good test provider will at least allow you to upgrade or provide a voucher which you can then use for a new test.

But if the test kit has already arrived, you are unlikely to get a refund.

Regrettably some providers have terms and conditions that do not allow any changes after booking.

What PCR tests are available and how much do they cost?

Basically, the faster you want to leave quarantine, the more you are likely to pay.

Tests at airports and other other transport locations are among the most expensive, with some providers charging up to £119 for fast turnaround test.

Because of the sudden change, many providers have not updated their systems to reflect the new requirement for a PCR test on arrival.

For example, as of 6pm on Sunday, Collinson is offering a “pre-departure” PCR test which will presumably be suitable for arrivals. At East Midlands, London City, Manchester and Stansted airports – as well as the O2 in east London – the price is £66. At Heathrow and Gatwick the cost is an annoying 44 per cent higher, at £95.

Arriving travellers who are not in such a hurry can save significantly by opting for a 24- or 48-hour turnaround.

Home-delivered tests will be slower but cheaper.

Does these rule apply to all four UK nations?

Yes – but the first ministers of Scotland and Wales, Nicola Sturgeon and Mark Drakeford, want tougher travel rules.

They have called on the UK government to bring in eight days of mandatory self-isolation for all arrivals to the UK, with a PCR test at the end.

Ms Sturgeon said “We are proposing a tougher four-nations approach.

“We believe this would be more effective in detecting variants.”

Were the plan adopted, it would extend the minimum length of quarantine from a couple of hours to eight days.

How long will the new rules last?

The transport secretary, Grant Shapps, said: “We will review these measures in three weeks to ensure they are working effectively.”

Boris Johnson called them “temporary and precautionary” and said: “I’m absolutely confident that Christmas this year will be considerably better than last year.”

But the next review is on the last Saturday before Christmas – by which time many people will have decided to stay at home.

Paul Charles, chief executive of the travel consultancy The PC Agency, said: “We are in a three-week state of limbo in the run-up to one of the busiest times of year.

“It’s a policy that will wipe out inbound tourism in the run-up to Christmas.”

What does the travel industry think about the changes?

It is appalled. The changes will damage consumer confidence and increase the overall cost of holidays. A spokesperson for Abta, the travel association, called it “a huge blow for travel businesses, many of whom were only just starting to get back on their feet after 20 months of severe restrictions”.

The spokesperson said: “It’s vital that this decision is kept under careful review and restrictions are lifted promptly if it becomes clear there is not a risk to the UK vaccination programme.”

Clive Wratten, chief executive of the Business Travel Association, said the measure was an overreaction: “Governments from around the world are acting without taking lessons from the last two years.

“It’s urgent that international protocols are introduced without delay to save lives, save economies and save our futures.”

The veteran tour guide and photographer, Paul Goldstein, is scathing about the expansion of the UK red list. He said: “It is a disgrace, penalising a country for their transparency and expertise by throwing them into the poor house.

“The list is now 10 countries, all of them utterly mystified and distraught by this persecution. European cases are rising, southern Africans not so, but they are the ones butchered.

“Travel apartheid continues to destroy economies as well as chucking the UK travel industry to the wolves.”

Any other changes?

People are now required to wear a face covering on public transport in the UK.

Mr Shapps said: “These are targeted measures to provide confidence and protection.”



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