Originally Posted by
alex67500
Quick question because there seems to be a few people in the know here, if the travel task force come up with a plan for testing on the way into the UK, is this likely to be also for rail travel? I would expect that Eurostar would be desperate for the scheme to include them.
Originally Posted by
corporate-wage-slave
Yes, they are in scope for the same scheme, as are the car and passenger ferry links.
A few more details on this, and you will see why Eurostar is as much in scope as aviation.
- The travel corridor system continues, and those that travel from those places don't need to do anything different
- For those countries not on the travel corridors, so all the countries in red on the daily chart, the 14 day rule still continues
- However for those who wish, on day 5 they can pay privately for a PCR test from an approved contractor listed on GOV.UK (the list isn't there yet). As soon as they get their negative test result, which will be on day 5 or day 6, they are released from self isolation requirements
- the cost will be set by the market, probably around £150, airlines and airports can join the system with their own contractors (e.g the sub £100 PCR tests at Gatwick Airport).
- the idea is that this will move to Lateral Flow Testing as a quicker and cheaper alternative to PCR, but (a) all LF testing in the UK is currently under state control and (b) the results of mass sceening in Liverpool and Merthyr Tydfil need to be further advanced before this can get the go ahead.
- First passengers able to use this will be arriving in the UK on 16 December.
- Longer term, De La Rue is being contracted to provide secure documentation to those who are tested regularly (twice weekly), moving to those who have had the vaccine, to permit easier movement without self isolation requirements.