Jun 4, 2020, 5:57 am
Last edit by: NewbieRunner
Mod note on thread engagement:
A reminder that this thread is about the self-isolation requirements for UK arrivals.
It is a help/Information resource for those travelling or returning to England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland from outside the UK. Let's concentrate on news, questions and answers that are relevant and on-topic and stay away from speculations about the spread of the virus, the performance of politicians and other topics which are more suitable for OMNI.
Please stay within these requirements to avoid issues.
A reminder that this thread is about the self-isolation requirements for UK arrivals.
It is a help/Information resource for those travelling or returning to England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland from outside the UK. Let's concentrate on news, questions and answers that are relevant and on-topic and stay away from speculations about the spread of the virus, the performance of politicians and other topics which are more suitable for OMNI.
Please stay within these requirements to avoid issues.
LATEST UPDATES
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-t...virus-covid-19
18 March travel to the UK changes
If you will arrive in the UK from abroad after 4am, Friday 18 March, you do not need to:
- take any COVID-19 tests – before you travel or after you arrive
- fill in a UK passenger locator form before you travel
This will apply whether you are vaccinated or not.
You also will not need to quarantine when you arrive, in line with current rules.
Other countries still have COVID-19 entry rules in place. You should check travel advice before you travel.
If you will arrive in England before 4am, 18 March, you must follow the current rules as set out in this guidance.
*****
The following historical information is retained for the time being.
The Passenger Locator Form for passengers arriving into the UK can be found here:
https://visas-immigration.service.go...r-locator-form
This can only be completed once you are within 48 hours of arrival in the UK.
Exemption list from quarantine requirements - specific details:
https://www.gov.uk/government/public...k-border-rules
England
Statutory instrument for individual passengers arriving in to England: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2021/582/contents (this html version is updated, but may not have the very latest updates for Statutory Instruments released in the last few days)
Test to release for England only from 15 December, see post 4776 https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/32841066-post4776.html
Statutory instrument for transport providers http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2.../contents/made
Scotland
Statutory instrument for individual passengers arriving in to Scotland: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2020/169/contents (this html version is updated)
Wales
Statutory instrument for individual passengers arriving in to Wales: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/wsi/2020/574/contents (this html version is updated) &
Welsh language version: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/wsi/2...0200574_we.pdf
Northern Ireland
Statutory instrument https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2021/99/contents (this html version is updated)
PRACTICAL GUIDANCE FOR QUICK RELEASE FROM SELF-ISOLATION (based on November 28th updates)
[This section has been moved lower down in the wiki post following the change in self-isolation rule on 7th January 2022[
Any PCR test noted as a UK Government Day 2 test will be accepted for release from self isolation as soon as you get the negative result. If it is any other PCR test (eg "Fit to Fly") and not advertised specifically as a Day 2 test then it won't be valid.
This means that you can:[list]
- Book a suitable Day 2 PCR test before you travel and use the booking reference for the test on the PLF (Passenger Locator Form).
- On your day of arrival go to your scheduled test.
- Proceed to you place of self-isolation and await the result, which will hopefully be same / next day.
Alternatively:- Book any Day 2 PCR test before you travel even if you do not intend to use this test, and use the booking reference for the test on the PLF to ensure entry to the UK.
- Note that you are not strictly required to have a PCR booking before arrival, but your carrier might not know that so you run the risk of being denied boarding
- On your day of arrival (or before end of Day 2) go to a walk-in test centre and take a different test to the one you booked.
- Proceed to you place of self-isolation and await the result, which will hopefully be same / next day.
If you are leaving the UK before the end of day 2 then you do not need to take a test, but are required to self-isolate for the duration of your trip (since you do not have a negative result). Also, if you are self-isolating while waiting for a result (and hence have not been informed of a positive result and need to isolate) you may travel to leave the country.
If you take a test and it is positive for any variant of COVID you will be required to isolate for 10 days from the date of the test.
Whether you take a test or not you may be contacted by the UK Test and Trace system at any time if it becomes apparent that you have been in contact with another case. This is very unlikely to happen before day 3 if it is in relation to your flight to UK. Depending on the suspected / identified variant for that case and if you are fully-vaccinated by an accepted programme (see below for links to what this means and valid exemptions) :- Omnicron or not fully-vaccinated: You will be required to isolated for 10 days, including a bar on travel to leave the country. A negative Day 2 test does not release you from this requirement.
- Other and fully vaccinated : You will not be required to isolate.
- Book any Day 2 PCR test before you travel even if you do not intend to use this test, and use the booking reference for the test on the PLF to ensure entry to the UK.
- Proceed to you place of self-isolation and await the result, which will hopefully be same / next day.
- On your day of arrival go to your scheduled test.
Test Providers for Day 2/8 tests & Day 5 Test to release
This section is for FTers to post their experience with specific providers (good or bad). Keep it brief and to the point. Please mention how the service is provided and your FT name.
DNA Workplace - Postal - Test kits arrived with me on time. Royal Mail slow for return. 5+ days for Day 2 result. #DaveS
DNA Workplace - Postal - Test kits both arrived on time, video of tests required, results by late evening Day 3 and Day 9. #TSE
ExpressTest Gatwick - Drive through - Tested early at 1000 a few times for TTR. Results came through in evening. #DaveS
NowTest - Postal - Day 2 kit arrived on time, day 8 did not. Will update with result arrival times when applicable. #wilsnunn
Collinson - Postal - Day 5 Test to Release kit arrived in time. Results and release by end of day 6. #tjcxx
CTM - Postal - Days 2/8 kits arrived together in time. Both sent results 2 days after posting. #tjcxx
Qured (Oncologica) - Postal -Day 2/8 kits arrived late. Results 3+ days from posting. #Gagravarr
Qured (Oncologica) - Postal - Day 2/8 kits arrived on time. Day 2 result on Day 5 and Day 8 result on Day 10 - happy customer! #EddLegll
Qured (Ocnologica) - Postal - Day 2/8 kits arrived on time. Day 2 result on Day 5 (after bedtime; ironically after my TTR result). #KSVVZ2015
Anglia DNA - Postal - Day 2/8 kits arrived early. (Both were labelled Day2). Results on Day 4 and Day 9. Cheapest on the list at the time, and good service/result. #tjcxx
Qured - Pre-flight test booked and bought through BA. Very efficient service. Highly recommended. #lhrsfo
Randox - Days 2 and 8. Booked two days before return, using BA discount. Kits already arrived on return. Slightly confusing instructions but manageable. Used Randox dropbox and results next day. Good. #lhrsfo
Randox - Day 2 (also used as pre departure test for a London to Milan flight). Used a drop box and results arrived at midnight the next day. #11101
Randox - Day 2 test centre - 2h30 queues outside the test centre in Waterloo. Results of antigen arrived 45 minutes later. #11101
Collinson - Test to Release at LHR T2. Good trip out! Very efficient service and well organised. Used BA discount. Results by end of day. Excellent. #lhrsfo
DAM - Test to Release in Fulham (they have many locations) - the cheapest fast turnaround TTR we have found. They promise 24 hours but in reality me, my wife, and my son (on different days) have received results inside of 12 hours. Very efficient staff as well. Princes outside of Central London as low as 99 GBP. Fulham is 129 GBP. #KSVVZ2015
Boots/Source Bioscience - days 2&8. Both packs sent in the same mail, waiting at the isolation address. Dropped off at postbox at 4pm, result back next day between 4 and 5 pm, very effective. Bought from Boots, £160, but same package sold directly bu Source Bioscience is just £120. Aaargh! Instructions said nasal and throat swabs, did only nasal and marked accordingly, no issues. #WilcoRoger
Collinsons/Stansted walkin TTR - test taken 1:30 pm, email with results 10:10 pm same day If the BA20OFF doesn't work (didn't work for us) there's another discount on the airport's site #WilcoRoger
Ordered Day-2 kit from Chronomics a week before our return for £18.99. Duly dispatched day we were returning to UK, so arrived on day following return. Reasonably simple process to do test and upload -ve result picture. Not sure where +ve result would have led to... #EsherFlyer
Hale Clinic testing centre (near Oxford Circus) - While not the least expensive, appoint schedules are accurate and results returned in promised timeframe. I've used the clinic for Day 2 tests (twice) and antigen test for US (once). I would def utilize again. #ecaarch
Halo at T5 (Sofitel) - Day 2 PCR spit test. Took the test 7pm, results arrived 7am the next day. No queues but a slightly awkward process to follow.
Useful data sources:
New cases per 100k - 7 days: https://covid19.who.int/table
New tests per 1000 - 7 days: https://ourworldindata.org/coronavirus-testing
Vaccination doses per 100: https://ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations
Sequenced samples uploaded to GISAID: https://www.gisaid.org/index.php?id=208
NHS Track & Trace data (positivity rates for arriving passengers are published every three weeks, so if you can't find the data in the current release it will be in one of the previous two) https://www.gov.uk/government/collec...weekly-reports https://assets.publishing.service.go...ut_week_50.ods
UK daily COVID data https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/?_ga...827.1594116739
Risk assessment methodology to inform international travel traffic light system
Data informing international travel traffic-light risk assessments
Testing Terminology
Notes which may assist with understanding which tests to use and with "reuse" of UK tests for other countries regulations:
- LFT: Lateral Flow Test - A rapid antigen test using nasal / throat swab typically performed by the traveler at home, hotel, etc using simple disposable device. Usually tests the "outer shell" of the nucleus (which causes the symptoms and is reasonably stable across variants) and not the "spikes" (which allow new variants to invade more easily), so gives a positive result for many variants. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-...d_antigen_test)
- PCR: Polymerase Chain Reaction - A laboratory based test which looks at the nucleus of the virus to determine which specific variant it is. After a positive LFT test ("I have some form of COVID") a PCR test ("You have the Gamma variant") allows identification and tracking of new variants to see if they are likely to become a "variant of concern". (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymerase_chain_reaction)
- NAAT: Nucleic Acid Amplification Test - A general class of laboratory based tests which includes PCR, LAMP, etc tests. (See https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019...b/naats.html)
UK arrivals - pre-departure, quarantine and post-arrival [currently no requirements]
Jun 1, 2020, 10:42 am
#736
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 2,345
There are several meetings going on this week, and yes the airlines are going to a "tell" meeting tomorrow where they will be told more about the quarantine proposals.
I don't know a lot more other than that HMG proposes to use the Public Health (Control of Diseases) Act 1984 rather than introduce primary legislation and they don't have time to do this now. This allows the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to introduce emergency statutory instruments, such as the Health Protection (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020. Now this leads to my view that the Passenger Locator Form will be enforced to a degree, but that the quarantine itself will in day to day reality be largely voluntary. Penalties may exist somewhere but you would have to be particularly inept to get a £1,000 Fixed Penalty Notice. I can't see, for example, how they would give the police the right of access inside a property to verify that someone is self isolating. Moreover, as of today, the lockdown has ended in England since the public no longer needs a "reasonable excuse" to leave home - the police have lost the power to instruct people to return back home or to issue FPNs to those who wish leave home for any reason or none. The police in England (and Northern Ireland) have passed the message up the line that they will just enforce the restrictions on very large gatherings.
I don't know a lot more other than that HMG proposes to use the Public Health (Control of Diseases) Act 1984 rather than introduce primary legislation and they don't have time to do this now. This allows the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to introduce emergency statutory instruments, such as the Health Protection (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020. Now this leads to my view that the Passenger Locator Form will be enforced to a degree, but that the quarantine itself will in day to day reality be largely voluntary. Penalties may exist somewhere but you would have to be particularly inept to get a £1,000 Fixed Penalty Notice. I can't see, for example, how they would give the police the right of access inside a property to verify that someone is self isolating. Moreover, as of today, the lockdown has ended in England since the public no longer needs a "reasonable excuse" to leave home - the police have lost the power to instruct people to return back home or to issue FPNs to those who wish leave home for any reason or none. The police in England (and Northern Ireland) have passed the message up the line that they will just enforce the restrictions on very large gatherings.
Jun 1, 2020, 12:32 pm
#737
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jun 2008
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Posts: 30,517
[Redacted reference to deleted posts]
To come back to the topic of this thread, I find it interesting that the Government are choosing not to propose a new legal instrument. Whilst it is true that it is too late for this now, my personal guess would be that the choice may come from a worry that a less-than-enthusiastic Parliament would have likely proposed and voted amendments (I personally don't believe enough people would have rebelled for a hypothetical bill to be rejected entirely unless it was particularly poorly crafted, but significant amendments, including different exemptions, possible exceptions with other countries such as the EU or a blanked exemption for countries with significantly lower rates of new infection than the uk, etc, I could easily imagine). It's not something a government would wish to "waste" good will through a three line whip on (or even a two line whip I'd guess). If I am correct and the Cabinet is indeed worried about the prospect of Parliament significantly amending, I also wonder how much credit they would wish to spend on this at a time when emotions are still running high in the aftermath of the Cummings controversy.
To come back to the topic of this thread, I find it interesting that the Government are choosing not to propose a new legal instrument. Whilst it is true that it is too late for this now, my personal guess would be that the choice may come from a worry that a less-than-enthusiastic Parliament would have likely proposed and voted amendments (I personally don't believe enough people would have rebelled for a hypothetical bill to be rejected entirely unless it was particularly poorly crafted, but significant amendments, including different exemptions, possible exceptions with other countries such as the EU or a blanked exemption for countries with significantly lower rates of new infection than the uk, etc, I could easily imagine). It's not something a government would wish to "waste" good will through a three line whip on (or even a two line whip I'd guess). If I am correct and the Cabinet is indeed worried about the prospect of Parliament significantly amending, I also wonder how much credit they would wish to spend on this at a time when emotions are still running high in the aftermath of the Cummings controversy.
Last edited by NewbieRunner; Jun 1, 2020 at 12:50 pm Reason: See note
Jun 1, 2020, 2:27 pm
#738
Senior Moderator, Moderator: Community Buzz and Ambassador: Miles & More (Lufthansa, Austrian, Swiss, and other partners)
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: 150km from MAN
Programs: LH SEN** HH Diamond
Posts: 29,512
Moderator note
Several posts discussing how Covid-19 deaths are counted and reported in the UK have been deleted as they are off topic for this thread. Please stay on topic.
NewbieRunner
Coronavirus and travel forum co-moderator
NewbieRunner
Coronavirus and travel forum co-moderator
Jun 1, 2020, 2:49 pm
#739
Join Date: May 2010
Location: WAS
Programs: Lotz
Posts: 1,534
Transit allowed?
I have 2 friends here in the US visiting from Czech who need to return home transferring BA flights at Heathrow (different terminals). In May UK wouldn't allow and most Czech flights from London canceled too. Different terminals hurt because of exiting security. Can they?
Jun 1, 2020, 3:16 pm
#740
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,553
The Guardian understands that about a fifth of people are expected to receive a spot-check to ensure that they are staying at the address or addresses they have provided to the authorities,
Jun 1, 2020, 3:47 pm
#741
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: LHR/ATH
Programs: Amex Platinum, LH SEN (Gold), BA Bronze
Posts: 4,489
I am getting the feeling that this will barely be brought in at all and will be either scrapped or toned down dramatically very soon after being introduced.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics...could-ditched/
'Unworkable' quarantine plan for UK arrivals could be ditched as MPs revolt
In this Telegraph article that is free access they first say air bridges are now in favour with Boris Johnson and that it may even be sooner than the 3 week review period.
With EU pushing for opening intra-EU borders June 15 without hassle, the timing is important for the UK.
It seems now only the Home Office is the scapegoat left to deal with this quarantine policy, making Home Secretary Priti Patel very much the receiving end of criticism of MP's and I guess many UK citizens!
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics...could-ditched/
'Unworkable' quarantine plan for UK arrivals could be ditched as MPs revolt
In this Telegraph article that is free access they first say air bridges are now in favour with Boris Johnson and that it may even be sooner than the 3 week review period.
With EU pushing for opening intra-EU borders June 15 without hassle, the timing is important for the UK.
It seems now only the Home Office is the scapegoat left to deal with this quarantine policy, making Home Secretary Priti Patel very much the receiving end of criticism of MP's and I guess many UK citizens!
Last edited by NewbieRunner; Jun 1, 2020 at 5:11 pm Reason: Font size
Jun 1, 2020, 4:02 pm
#742
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jun 2008
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Here is the link to the Guardian article (I can't see it upthread). I must say that this is achieving remarkable unanimity in criticism across left and right, broadsheet and tabloid papers.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...ne-coronavirus
"Critics round on no10 over 'ridiculous' rules for 14-day quarantine -- Exclusive: Opponents claim exemptions to rules could mean great economic pain for little public health benefit".
https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...ne-coronavirus
"Critics round on no10 over 'ridiculous' rules for 14-day quarantine -- Exclusive: Opponents claim exemptions to rules could mean great economic pain for little public health benefit".
Jun 1, 2020, 4:06 pm
#743
Senior Moderator, Moderator: Community Buzz and Ambassador: Miles & More (Lufthansa, Austrian, Swiss, and other partners)
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: 150km from MAN
Programs: LH SEN** HH Diamond
Posts: 29,512
I have 2 friends here in the US visiting from Czech who need to return home transferring BA flights at Heathrow (different terminals). In May UK wouldn't allow and most Czech flights from London canceled too. Different terminals hurt because of exiting security. Can they?
- a transit passenger, an individual transiting to a country outside of the Common Travel Area, who remains airside and does not pass border control
Jun 1, 2020, 4:15 pm
#744
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Somewhere between 0 and 13,000 metres high
Programs: AF/KL Life Plat, BA GGL+GfL, ALL Plat, Hilton Diam, Marriott Gold, blablablah, etc
Posts: 30,517
I have 2 friends here in the US visiting from Czech who need to return home transferring BA flights at Heathrow (different terminals). In May UK wouldn't allow and most Czech flights from London canceled too. Different terminals hurt because of exiting security. Can they?
To be honest, if the information upthread (from the Independent) is correct, then even if they needed to go landside would not make a difference (the article suggests that there will be no issue leaving the UK before the end of the quarantine. This needs confirmation, but if indeed, correct, your friends could "technically" quarantine from the arrival of their flight to the departure of the next even if they needed to go landslide, transfer landside and recheck luggage.
Jun 1, 2020, 4:46 pm
#745
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: All over
Programs: LH HON, EK Plat, QR Plat, TK EP
Posts: 297
Per Reuters (https://www.reuters.com/article/heal...-idUSL4N2DE3ZT) and Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics...could-ditched/), UK looks at replacing quarantine for arrivals; PM favours air bridges.
Just who'd be the other side of the equation with the UK numbers?
Just who'd be the other side of the equation with the UK numbers?
Jun 1, 2020, 9:37 pm
#746
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Kazakhstan
Programs: BA Gold, AirAstana Silver (much use as chocolate teapot)
Posts: 867
This whole plan gets more & more ridiculous by the day. The government is making life incredibly difficult for itself. The "air bridges" concept is bonkers.
The plan appears to founded in a principal of you don't quarantine by exception, when what it should be is quarantine by exception.
If a country is high risk quarantine otherwise not. If a country is very high risk ban all entries from that country bar returning residents. Relative to the UK most countries would not be higher risk Far far easier to manage no need for intra-country agreements,
The plan appears to founded in a principal of you don't quarantine by exception, when what it should be is quarantine by exception.
If a country is high risk quarantine otherwise not. If a country is very high risk ban all entries from that country bar returning residents. Relative to the UK most countries would not be higher risk Far far easier to manage no need for intra-country agreements,
Jun 1, 2020, 11:10 pm
#747
Join Date: Oct 2019
Location: clue is in the nym
Programs: BA Gold, TP Gold, VS Gold, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 831
Per Reuters (https://www.reuters.com/article/heal...-idUSL4N2DE3ZT) and Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics...could-ditched/), UK looks at replacing quarantine for arrivals; PM favours air bridges.
Just who'd be the other side of the equation with the UK numbers?
Just who'd be the other side of the equation with the UK numbers?
Jun 1, 2020, 11:25 pm
#748
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 7,236
The BBC is saying that the 'quarantine' might be amended as early as 20/7, to coincide with school holidays, but anything will be 'guided by science' (again, which science, though?).
Whether this is true, or not, I just hope that clarifications are made with sufficient advance so that people can make plans about it. As far as I understand it, today's June 2nd and we haven't heard the full details of what will come up on June 8th.
Additional details from the Guardian:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...ne-coronavirus
Whether this is true, or not, I just hope that clarifications are made with sufficient advance so that people can make plans about it. As far as I understand it, today's June 2nd and we haven't heard the full details of what will come up on June 8th.
Additional details from the Guardian:
Tens of thousands of new arrivals to the UK will be able to go food shopping, change accommodation and use public transport from airports during a 14-day quarantine imposed to prevent a second wave of coronavirus, under draft plans to be laid before parliament.
During the coronavirus travel quarantine period, people will be allowed to leave their given address to buy food – including for pets – or medicine or to fulfil a legal obligation, it is understood. Arrivals into the country will be able to provide more than one address where they will stay for the period, sources with knowledge of the draft plans told the Guardian.
Around 20% of arrivals will receive a check call to make sure they are where they should be. However, according to draft rules, the police in England will not have power of entry. In theory, if they call on someone suspected of breaching the regulations, the person does not have to open the door.
Last edited by 13901; Jun 1, 2020 at 11:54 pm
Jun 2, 2020, 1:11 am
#749
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,553
" as early as 20/7"? So that would be what, two full 3-week reviews? That is quite a long time. I was hoping for significant changes by the first review! That isn't nearly as optimistic as other articles so it certainly worries me.
Incredibly England-centric, as by then Scotland will be more than halfway through its school holidays.
Instead of air bridges, why not do like other countries and have a criteria - quarantine if cases per million are above X, no quarantine if cases per million are below X.
Incredibly England-centric, as by then Scotland will be more than halfway through its school holidays.
Instead of air bridges, why not do like other countries and have a criteria - quarantine if cases per million are above X, no quarantine if cases per million are below X.
Jun 2, 2020, 1:21 am
#750
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: LHR/ATH
Programs: Amex Platinum, LH SEN (Gold), BA Bronze
Posts: 4,489
Be careful that’s just BBC speculation. 20/7 May be the time it’s scrapped all together. It hasnt even been brought in yet, realistically it should be after mid to end June all EU then internationally July onwards with very little countries left on the list, but by then I don’t see there Really being an epicentre anymore