Whether you are going on a business trip, or visiting family, you will need day 2 and 8 tests when you return.
Covid has had a monumental impact on the travel industry. In 2020, millions of people were forced to cancel their travel plans globally. However, things are looking brighter, and travel is being reintroduced. We now have greater control over the spread of the virus; this is due to Travel Test Packages such as this one.
It is now mandatory to have two Covid tests following any international travel. We offer you the opportunity to receive your results within 36 hours of the lab receiving your sample, to ensure that you don’t have to isolate for any longer than necessary.
Government guidelines state that if you are travelling to England from a red or amber list country, you must quarantine for 10 days. Moreover, you must undergo testing on day 2 and day 8 following your return. In order to leave quarantine, you are required to isolate for the full 10 days. A negative result on both of your day 2 and 8 tests is compulsory.
Further to the release of the Government’s red and the rest of the world travel lists, regulations may differ depending on the airline or country. Therefore, we advise that you visit the Government and Foreign Office Websites for guidance in advance of your travel.
Firstly, you must perform a test on or before day 2. This is a Genomic Sequencing test, which aids with variant surveillance. Genome Sequencing helps identify, monitor and reduce the number of variants in the UK. Diagnostic Covid tests, such as PCR tests, look for the virus itself using a small sample of its genetic material, whereas Genomic sequencing can identify specific variants.
When a ‘variant of concern’ is found in an individual’s test, they will be contacted by NHS Test and Track. Any recent contacts they have had will also be contacted for a test.
You must conduct the second test on or after day 8 of your isolation; this will confirm that you do not have the virus.
If either test comes back positive, you will have to isolate for an additional 10 days, starting from the day you took the test. You will be advised on this when you receive your results.
After 10 days have passed, you may leave quarantine. However, this is dependent on a negative result following your day 8 test. Even if your day 8 test comes back negative, you are still required to isolate until day 10. However, if you are looking to end your isolation period early, you can do so using the Test to Release Scheme. This scheme allows you to end your quarantine early following a negative result on or after day 5.
Please Note: Even if you end your isolation early through Test to Release, your day 8 test is still obligatory.