International travellers to require negative PCR test to enter England

[RomeoCharlie71]

COVID-19: Travellers arriving in England, Wales and Scotland will need negative tests to be granted entry

All passengers from international destinations - including UK nationals - will need to have tested negative for coronavirus.

news.sky.com

All travellers to England from overseas will need to test negative for coronavirus before they are allowed to enter the country, the government has announced.

The test will need to be taken up to 72 hours before their departure - and failure to comply will result in an immediate £500 fine.

Arrivals by boat, plane and train are covered by the new regulations, which also apply to UK nationals.

The Department for Transport hopes the policy will help prevent the spread of new variants of COVID-19, such as those found in Denmark and South Africa.

Ministers have long faced calls to strengthen border measures with pre-arrival testing, which is already in place in many countries around the world.

Regardless of their test result, all passengers arriving from countries not on the government's travel corridor list will still be required to self-isolate for 10 days.

They will have the option to reduce their quarantine period to as little as five days by paying for another test on or after the fifth full day since travelling to England.

Just announced a few minutes ago. Only England so far, but I would be surprised if the other nations don't follow suit rather quickly.

 

[SouthEastBuses]

COVID-19: Travellers arriving in England, Wales and Scotland will need negative tests to be granted entry

All passengers from international destinations - including UK nationals - will need to have tested negative for coronavirus.

news.sky.com

Just announced a few minutes ago. Only England so far, but I would be surprised if the other nations don't follow suit rather quickly.

Your country too now.
(Which by the way, for those of you who don't know, it's Scotland)

 

[Cdd89]

This seems to be the way things are going worldwide, however my immediate thoughts are:

- If the purpose is to limit importing new cases, that’s pointless when there’s so much domestic spread and air travel is comparatively safe

- If the purpose is to limit importing new strains/variants because it’s feared they won’t respond to the vaccine, then we’re snookered long term as they’ll rapidly gain dominance either way

- Rightly or wrongly you can expect those with negative pre departure tests to fail to respect U.K. quarantine rules as they know they are lower risk - even though a pre departure test doesn’t reduce risk to zero. I wonder if that impact had been modelled

- Yet another random increasing in the fines for the passenger locator form from £100 to £500. Why not just make it £100,000 and really solve the problem *sigh*

 

[Watershed]

Yet another random increasing in the fines for the passenger locator form from £100 to £500

It appears that the £500 FPN is for arriving at the border without a negative test. There is no penalty (other than lost time in having to fill one out there and then) if you manage to arrive at the border without having filled in a PLF.

 

[philosopher]

It appears that the £500 FPN is for arriving at the border without a negative test. There is no penalty (other than lost time in having to fill one out there and then) if you manage to arrive at the border without having filled in a PLF.

I can’t expect too many wanting to go on holiday overseas with this place. Test positive and you may find yourself suddenly having to scramble to pay for ten extra days in a hotel and to change your flight. And that assumes there will be hotels that will be willing to accommodate a customer who has tested positive.

 

[hwl]

It appears that the £500 FPN is for arriving at the border without a negative test. There is no penalty (other than lost time in having to fill one out there and then) if you manage to arrive at the border without having filled in a PLF.

Will they be able to understand test results from private providers in other languages though?

 

[island]

It appears that the £500 FPN is for arriving at the border without a negative test. There is no penalty (other than lost time in having to fill one out there and then) if you manage to arrive at the border without having filled in a PLF.

That isn’t correct. There is a £100 FPN for not having filled out the passenger locator form – though in practice, as you say, anyone without one is likely to just be told to go away and fill it in.

Will they be able to understand test results from private providers in other languages though?

Most providers are set up to provide results in English, the global language of travel and commerce.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 8 Jan 2021 ==

I can’t expect too many wanting to go on holiday overseas with this place. Test positive and you may find yourself suddenly having to scramble to pay for ten extra days in a hotel and to change your flight. And that assumes there will be hotels that will be willing to accommodate a customer who has tested positive.

This, I think, is the crux of the matter.

 

[PTR 444]

The main reason for this being introduced seems to be the risk of the South African variant being imported into the UK, which as currently stands may be able to beat the vaccines and render them ineffective. This begs the question as to whether we will have to keep our borders “closed” until the SA variant dies out naturally or through a modified vaccine, but I’d like to think that this won’t be the case and hope that antibodies in people infected by the UK strains can hold off the SA variant.

 

[kristiang85]

Having travelled four times since August, not once was I asked to show my Passenger Locator Form (but I always use the egates - I think you are asked if you show your passport to a human).

Overall this is sensible as it is in line with many other countries, however affordable testing should be offered on arrival as an alternative (eg when I went to Iceland, I was tested on arrival and simply had to stay in my hotel room whilst I waited for the result a few hours later). From my experience, finding tests locally where you are can be a pain. Especially when you travel in my kind of style which is moving around a lot to see stuff rather than staying in one place.

Turkey has the gold standard of traveller testing - all airports have PCR facilities, which only cost £25 for a test and each time I had it done it took just over two hours. Great for transit, which the UK should be doing as we aspire to still be one of the key global travel hubs. But we have now fallen way behind.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 8 Jan 2021 ==

The main reason for this being introduced seems to be the risk of the South African variant being imported into the UK, which as currently stands may be able to beat the vaccines and render them ineffective. This begs the question as to whether we will have to keep our borders “closed” until the SA variant dies out naturally or through a modified vaccine, but I’d like to think that this won’t be the case and hope that antibodies in people infected by the UK strains can hold off the SA variant.

Research released today shows that the scientists are pretty confident the variant is covered by the vaccine. Which is good news.

There's a thread here: https://twitter.com/andrew_croxford/status/1347445347975573504?s=19

“Neutralization of N501Y mutant SARS-CoV-2 by BNT162b2 vaccine-elicited sera” was published as a preprint yesterday. The N501Y substitution is present in both the South African and UK (B117) variant.

https://t.co/OMoYMyTLSx

Recently, data was shared showing that previous infection with SARS-CoV-2 induces antibody responses capable of neutralising a variant harbouring N501Y substitution.

The important question was, will serum post-vaccination do the same as post-infection?

https://t.co/hXN5ENLm69

The assay works by mixing serum with viral particles, you incubate them for a while to allow antibody binding, then serially dilute the mixture onto a host cell monolayer. After a few days count the ‘plaques’, which are discernible regions of infected cells.
Key result: "The ratio of the 50% neutralization GMT of the sera against the Y501 virus to that against the N501 virus was 1.46, indicating NO REDUCTION IN NEUTRALIZING ACTIVITY against the virus bearing the Y501 spike."
Serum samples were taken from patients who received *two* doses (30μg) of BNT162b2, three weeks apart (the recommended dose regimen from the trial). Sera was isolated from people either 2 or 4 weeks after the second dose (indicated in this figure by circles or triangles). https://t.co/f2hfZpMzSO
We are still not sure how serum would perform in this assay before the boost on d21. It is possible based on the preliminary data that neutralisation of SARS-CoV-2 would be less effective after a single dose. Still waiting for the immunogenicity data from later trials. https://t.co/PBYn8vSwL
“A limitation of this finding is that the Y501 virus does not include the full set of spike mutations found on the rapidly spreading strains in the UK or South Africa.”

We must perform the same experiment B117 with the serum post-Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccine with some urgency.
This experiment is planned and will be our moment of collective ‘exhale’. Very much looking forward to that, and it has been on the PHE agenda since those ‘NERVTAG’ minutes. They are working on it, for sure!

https://t.co/bRpKzNX92r

And Ugur Sahin is confident it will work. That's actually enough for me.

https://t.co/UZfkLdlMYm

 

[Gadget88]

I would hope not as this would create the dreaded vaccine passport and two tier society. Some people with allergies can’t take the vaccine and given most people have taken a foreign holiday it would make all but mandatary. Again the immunity may last only a year and most agree we can’t vaccinate everybody so what would they do if you had the vaccine in 2021 immunity worn off by say 2023 are they going to refuse you entry to the UK even if your government won’t vaccine the entire population? We know it’s highly unlikely they could do it for 65 million people every year.

copied from my other post

Also regarding testing I wouldn’t fancy a swab test so I would be refused entry? If you tested positive abroad what would you do? Be stranded abroad? I think it would be an unfair system in the future as once most are vaccinated if you did catch it and return you would be low risk to others?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 8 Jan 2021 ==

I can’t expect too many wanting to go on holiday overseas with this place. Test positive and you may find yourself suddenly having to scramble to pay for ten extra days in a hotel and to change your flight. And that assumes there will be hotels that will be willing to accommodate a customer who has tested positive.

Exactly this is surely going to affect bookings? Also if you take a train to say Lille I wonder how you could get a test get results and back in a day if it was a day visit? More complicated for longer holidays as you are stranded abroad. As I said before if most are vaccinated right surely returning with the virus say late 2021 you would be low risk and could isolate at home?

 

[kristiang85]

I would hope not as this would create the dreaded vaccine passport and two tier society. Some people with allergies can’t take the vaccine and given most people have taken a foreign holiday it would make all but mandatary. Again the immunity may last only a year and most agree we can’t vaccinate everybody so what would they do if you had the vaccine in 2021 immunity worn off by say 2023 are they going to refuse you entry to the UK even if your government won’t vaccine the entire population? We know it’s highly unlikely they could do it for 65 million people every year.

copied from my other post

Also regarding testing I wouldn’t fancy a swab test so I would be refused entry? If you tested positive abroad what would you do? Be stranded abroad? I think it would be an unfair system in the future as once most are vaccinated if you did catch it and return you would be low risk to others?

I think, for the reasons you state, this is why the immunity passport will never happen. It's not just foreign holidays it will affect, but also business travel and the like, which generates billions for economies along with general tourism. Stifling that will have too many knock on effects.

I'm still of the belief this virus will become part of the repertoire of endemic 'common colds' forever, just most people will have increased immunity due to exposure/vaccination (SARS 1's immune response in people has lasted at least 17 years, and counting). So what I can see happening is, whilst all these entry tests are in place now, they will be removed in the summer when the virus naturally wanes (apart from maybe specific high burden countries), and then just not reinstated when winter comes.

 

[Gadget88]

I think, for the reasons you state, this is why the immunity passport will never happen. It's not just foreign holidays it will affect, but also business travel and the like, which generates billions for economies along with general tourism. Stifling that will have too many knock on effects.

I'm still of the belief this virus will become part of the repertoire of endemic 'common colds' forever, just most people will have increased immunity due to exposure/vaccination (SARS 1's immune response in people has lasted at least 17 years, and counting). So what I can see happening is, whilst all these entry tests are in place now, they will be removed in the summer when the virus naturally wanes (apart from maybe specific high burden countries), and then just not reinstated when winter comes.

Yep someone at my work said about it being part of the common cold eventually a manger so I respect her opinion. Like it all points to that as the experts even say once the vaccination programme is done there is still a small risk in the winter. The COVID jab could perhaps be merged with the flu jab to give protection to those at risk I believe this is what happened with Swine flu.

 

[Trackman]

I booked a flight for someone who is stranded yesterday as their booked carrier have suspended flights.
I wonder where they would go for a PCR test? I’m not sure if they had one on entry, I’ll need to find out when they are out of bed.
Problem is, this is the last direct flight on Monday for weeks, otherwise it’s going to cost £££s, plus they need to be back in the UK ASAP.

 

[Yew]

The main reason for this being introduced seems to be the risk of the South African variant being imported into the UK, which as currently stands may be able to beat the vaccines and render them ineffective. This begs the question as to whether we will have to keep our borders “closed” until the SA variant dies out naturally or through a modified vaccine, but I’d like to think that this won’t be the case and hope that antibodies in people infected by the UK strains can hold off the SA variant.

There seems to be remarkably scant evidence of this in the first place...

 

[Trackman]

I'm having a hard time with this.
Just had an email from BA this morning about rules for entering the UK for the flight on Monday, no mention of a test.
Have Dm'd them, they have had no word from the government yet.
So when does this all kick-in, Monday?
There is nothing on the .gov website either, just the current regulations.
Not much good if they let me know a few hours before check-in.
edit: just another message from them, it basically says 'tough, nothing to do with us'

 

[Cdd89]

Yes this is going to be a real pain for me as well. however – I would expect a significant (further) grace period between the regulations being formally published, and them coming into effect. This is not like lockdowns, worldwide airlines need precise details and time to notify their outstations. I expect the rushed announcement was to limit political damage, rather than to give people fair warning, because it certainly doesn’t do the latter.

 

[Watershed]

I'm having a hard time with this.
Just had an email from BA this morning about rules for entering the UK for the flight on Monday, no mention of a test.
Have Dm'd them, they have had no word from the government yet.
So when does this all kick-in, Monday?
There is nothing on the .gov website either, just the current regulations.
Not much good if they let me know a few hours before check-in.
edit: just another message from them, it basically says 'tough, nothing to do with us'

Shapps said it would probably come in around Wednesday. So you're probably in luck.

 

[Trackman]

Yes this is going to be a real pain for me as well. however – I would expect a significant (further) grace period between the regulations being formally published, and them coming into effect. This is not like lockdowns, worldwide airlines need precise details and time to notify their outstations. I expect the rushed announcement was to limit political damage, rather than to give people fair warning, because it certainly doesn’t do the latter.

That's my thinking, they just cannot announce it like Sunday night and off it goes Monday morning.

Shapps said it would probably come in around Wednesday. So you're probably in luck.

I missed that, thanks very much for posting.
These test aren't cheap either.

 

[RomeoCharlie71]

Given you are able to take a test 72 hours prior to departure, I would only hope the Government thinks it is reasonable to announce the starting date 72 hours before it does.

 

[Trackman]

Given you are able to take a test 72 hours prior to departure, I would only hope the Government thinks it is reasonable to announce the starting date 72 hours before it does.

Well yes, but it's the way he said it: 'From next week' which made me think Monday, not like 'From sometime next week'.

 

[Cdd89]

Given you are able to take a test 72 hours prior to departure, I would only hope the Government thinks it is reasonable to announce the starting date 72 hours before it does.

Indeed, my guess is when Shapps says Wednesday what he means is that’s the date that if you’re still abroad you’ll need to get a test (assuming it’s not delayed further, which I wouldn’t bet against). Meaning the requirement to have had a test at T-72 would kick in on Saturday.

 

[island]

Given you are able to take a test 72 hours prior to departure, I would only hope the Government thinks it is reasonable to announce the starting date 72 hours before it does.

You're crediting the government with considerably more reasonableness than I would.

 

[RomeoCharlie71]

You're crediting the government with considerably more reasonableness than I would.

Very true.

They did give, what, 10 days notice for face coverings being introduced, so stranger things have happened!

 

[Richard Scott]

This really is more paranoia from the government. It won't be eliminated, we need to learn to live with this and these sort of requirements aren't going to make any real difference

 

[yorkie]

This really is more paranoia from the government. It won't be eliminated, we need to learn to live with this and these sort of requirements aren't going to make any real difference

Problem is, the last 10 months tells us that they pander to demands of this nature. (The people demanding it still won't be happy with the Government, though!)

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 9 Jan 2021 ==

I would hope not as this would create the dreaded vaccine passport ...

An immunity passport is already a thing for some countries and it is inevitable that more will follow suit.

Those who are not vaccinated will have to take the tests.

 

[MattA7]

I was reading that some were wanting a permanent change in attitude towards taking holiday abroad to prevent future pandemics. Apparently they claim that there is not need for it as there is plenty places to visit in one’s own country and modern international travel is what makes pandemics so dangerous.

thankfully that is just a opinion of a few idiots and not that of the government but some people seem so ignorant about the harmful effects of such attitudes especially as some country’s relay heavily on tourism for their economy.

 

[185143]

Asking for when quarantines are lifted really, but would one be able to get a negative test in the UK, go for a day trip (eg to Paris or Dublin) and then use the UK result to get back home? Granted this is a bit of a moot point at the moment, and may well still be if/when quarantines are over.

 

[Trackman]

update from my previous posts up-thread:

Hells bells.
BA have cancelled the flight.
Emailing/calling Sky News/BBC or whatever tomorrow to rant about Virgin Atlantic and BA about British citizens being stranded abroad.
When booking the seat reservations last Thursday it was a 'fresh air' plane to start with, it was at a knock down price to start with- no wonder.
Anyway, next flight is about 4 weeks away, will that fly?
/covid tests least of the problems.

 

[Cdd89]

Enter your source airport into flightconnections.com to look at all normally-operating flights from that airport to anywhere. If any of them are Oneworld operated BA are likely to be able to book you onto them as an indirect reroute, subject to entry restrictions imposed on you by governments.

(My crystal ball suggests you are in Barbados, if that’s correct remember you can enter (or transit via) the USA after 14 days of not being in the EU, so routing back via Miami would be an obvious option after waiting out whatever’s left to hit 14d total; and of course you’ll need to apply for an ESTA).

 

[Trackman]

Enter your source airport into flightconnections.com to look at all normally-operating flights from that airport to anywhere. If any of them are Oneworld operated BA are likely to be able to book you onto them as an indirect reroute, subject to entry restrictions imposed on you by governments.

(My crystal ball suggests you are in Barbados, if that’s correct remember you can enter (or transit via) the USA after 14 days of not being in the EU, so routing back via Miami would be an obvious option after waiting out whatever’s left to hit 14d total; and of course you’ll need to apply for an ESTA).

You are in the right neck of the woods.
btw: On my first post on the matter I stated I had booked for someone else.
An indirect flight is going to be tricky due to previous complications with Uncle Sam.

Oh, I've been on to Sky, I've got a link to send a pre-recorded video to them, if it gets on the telly is another matter. Anyway, I need to script the thing first.

Back on topic, found out a bit more on the .gov website.

There will be a limited number of exemptions, including for hauliers, children under 11, crews and for those who travelling from countries without the infrastructure available to deliver the tests. Further exemptions will be set out on GOV.UK.

I was wondering how it would work if you leave some remote island with no testing facilities.