COVID and overseas travel

Chaz Hill said:

Expert Medicals still advertising their 2 day overseas arrival test for £28. 

They might well be doing but are no longer on the approved list. They must be doing at least some checks because my spanish teacher told us this morning that her friend got fined £1000 for not booking her day 2 in the UK test properly!

Chaz Hill said:

fat man on a moped said:

Coop pharmacy are selling COVID-19 Return to the UK Pre-Departure test kits for £25 that you take with you.
Probably cheaper than getting tested in the country you are visiting and are valid for travel back to the UK. 

Cheers. Just ordered a couple. How’d you go with the now ‘delisted’ (whatever that means) Expert Medicals day 2 test kit?

Thanks - sounds good - are they on the approved list or is that different as this is for the test before you leave the country you are visiting?

Chaz Hill said:

PrincessFiona said:

Chaz Hill said:

fat man on a moped said:

Coop pharmacy are selling COVID-19 Return to the UK Pre-Departure test kits for £25 that you take with you.
Probably cheaper than getting tested in the country you are visiting and are valid for travel back to the UK. 

Cheers. Just ordered a couple. How’d you go with the now ‘delisted’ (whatever that means) Expert Medicals day 2 test kit?

Thanks - sounds good - are they on the approved list or is that different as this is for the test before you leave the country you are visiting?

Seem to be done in association with Randox so look legit. They are for the test before we return from Spain. Still pondering the day 2 return PCR options

Looks like all this testing is likely to stop for the double vaxed from Oct. I don't understand how this Coop option (and the others where there is proof of who is doing itl, is any different than the free NHS ones. I meant in effectiveness,/accuracy not in price before any of the anti-testing jump on my comment

PrincessFiona said:

Chaz Hill said:

PrincessFiona said:

Chaz Hill said:

fat man on a moped said:

Coop pharmacy are selling COVID-19 Return to the UK Pre-Departure test kits for £25 that you take with you.
Probably cheaper than getting tested in the country you are visiting and are valid for travel back to the UK. 

Cheers. Just ordered a couple. How’d you go with the now ‘delisted’ (whatever that means) Expert Medicals day 2 test kit?

Thanks - sounds good - are they on the approved list or is that different as this is for the test before you leave the country you are visiting?

Seem to be done in association with Randox so look legit. They are for the test before we return from Spain. Still pondering the day 2 return PCR options

Looks like all this testing is likely to stop for the double vaxed from Oct. I don't understand how this Coop option (and the others where there is proof of who is doing itl, is any different than the free NHS ones. I meant in effectiveness,/accuracy not in price before any of the anti-testing jump on my comment

Certainly hope they are kicked into touch. Can do without more of the extra expense for what seems a pretty meaningless exercise. Planning on a bit of winter sun in Fuerteventura during November.

Oggy Red said:

scidbox said:

I got sick of sitting around last Feb in 3rd lockdown (Irish) so I bought a yacht in the Caribbean and now travel all over.

Could you pick me up from the Vieux Port, Marseille ....... and take me home to Cornwall, please?

As a thank you, there's a box of old Charlton programmes and a couple of bottles of 'Proper Job' for you.

Don't tell Bell-end Boris though.
Thanks very much.

The Mrs just went back to Marseille, Blvd Baille. She'll be back in a fortnight if you want to hide in her bag. Will be passing Cornwall July 2023. Allez L"OM, Allez Les Addicks.

scidbox said:

Oggy Red said:

scidbox said:

I got sick of sitting around last Feb in 3rd lockdown (Irish) so I bought a yacht in the Caribbean and now travel all over.

Could you pick me up from the Vieux Port, Marseille ....... and take me home to Cornwall, please?

As a thank you, there's a box of old Charlton programmes and a couple of bottles of 'Proper Job' for you.

Don't tell Bell-end Boris though.
Thanks very much.

The Mrs just went back to Marseille, Blvd Baille. She'll be back in a fortnight if you want to hide in her bag. Will be passing Cornwall July 2023. Allez L"OM, Allez Les Addicks.

Dear Mr Scidbox,

That'll be brilliant. I'm in the Cinquieme in Marseille, so Boulevard Baille is only 10 minutes walk from the GF's gaff. I'll pop round on Monday.

Arrival in Cornwall, July 2023 via the Carribean?
Yep, I can cope with that!

@scidbox

jimmymelrose said:

PrincessFiona said:

The two tests I did for my children were free yes, although I think I heard that we will soon have to pay for them. However that's irrelevant as a comparison to the UK as there are no mandatory Day 2 tests for double vaccinated travellers with no close contact to any infected person.

You still haven't explained why you agree that such testing is necessary. Why for example, if there is Day 2 testing for someone who travelled by Eurostar ot even alone by car, is there no Day 2 testing for someone who went to a crowded pub within the UK?
Can't you see how discriminatory that is towards travellers who after all are coming from countries with lower infection rates to the UK?! 
Also, surely this awful workload that you complain about is being caused itself by these absurd unnecessary measures, isn't it?

Finally, earlier you stated that lockdown suits some people but not others. Who the hell does lockdown suit? 

Of course \i can't say why the testing is necessary as I am not a scientist, and it is they who are advising the government. All I do know is it is a risk-based scenario. Some countries  aren't letting anyone in including their own citizens, so I think the UK situation is a small price and inconvenience to pay. The unprecedented workload is caused by the unprecedented situation due to the world-wide pandemic, coupled with the Brexit timing (exacerbated by the EU posturing) and now the Afghanistan situation. If you can't appreciate this then there is no hope of a reasoned discussion with you, whatever your reasons for not understanding or accepting it.

A lot of people wanted more lockdown - again, if you don't appreciate this, you aren't able to have an objective discussion. Personally I don't know what the ideal balance is, but at least I can appreciate the different views. There is no ideal solution.

I'm quite willing to listen to others' points of view but you don't give a point of view; instead you follow a doctrine regardless of any logic.

And also I'm unaware of anyone who wanted more lockdown so it was a legitimate question.

I am definitely not devoid of logic, in fact quite the opposite. I don't have any singular logic, again quite the opposite as not led by any political or anti-Boris/Conservative objective or the benefit of hindsight

You may not know anyone who wanted more lockdown, but I certainly so; generally people concerned it would spread the virus before the vaccination programme.

jimmymelrose said:

You are led by some political bias otherwise you wouldn't keep referring to 'the workload'. Why don't you disclose who you work for?

I wasn't talking about my workload but that of others that you seem to be in denial of. I never mentioned my workload at all. The amount of time it would take to make some of these policy changes ordinarily is weeks, months or even years. Yet they are having to be done on an almost daily basis and for unprecedented circumstances. Although I have said worldwide pandemic prep was poor and better prep would have alleviated a small percentage.

There is no political bias in my comments - most of the people concerned are civil servants who will support all the various political parties. It is easy to criticise decisions that affect you without appreciating, let alone understanding all the work involved. This workload is situation-related and not political. It is easy to quote what another country has done when that particular policy has worked or suits you and with hindsight etc. But there is a bigger picture.

Croydon said:

Much harder to find a fit to fly test in Spain than I thought it would be. Not every pharmacy offers them, so ended up having to go to a hospital for it. Only €30 though, so not too bad.

The airports do them.  https://www.trustoneapp.com/ You can use the app (covering both mainland and Canaries) to book tests and see your results.  Alternatively you can turn up unannounced and pay a bit more for one.

PrincessFiona said:

Croydon said:

Much harder to find a fit to fly test in Spain than I thought it would be. Not every pharmacy offers them, so ended up having to go to a hospital for it. Only €30 though, so not too bad.

Whete were you in Spain?

Javèa, so about an hour from Alicante. To be fair, I left it until the day of my flight as I thought there would be loads about. A few of the labs I went into said they didn't have anymore capacity for the day, and are PCR only.

Croydon said:

PrincessFiona said:

Croydon said:

Much harder to find a fit to fly test in Spain than I thought it would be. Not every pharmacy offers them, so ended up having to go to a hospital for it. Only €30 though, so not too bad.

Whete were you in Spain?

Javèa, so about an hour from Alicante. To be fair, I left it until the day of my flight as I thought there would be loads about. A few of the labs I went into said they didn't have anymore capacity for the day, and are PCR only.

Thanks. We're due to go near there but have identified options.

Alwaysneil said:

This is embarrassing. I went into the all bar one by Cannon Street today on the way home and both of the managers there came up to great me as a regular. I haven’t been there for well over 18 months but clearly I was there a lot before. 

Anyway, apparently now you officially need to isolate when going to Italy (Manager number is married to an Italian and says the Italians never isolated but that tourists in hotels had to)

I was not aware of the change otherwise would be at the Monza Grand Peoz this weekend. 

Her issue was that she went home to Slovakia and spent £80 on flights and then £200 on tests, most of which were UK requirements. Her view was that this UK testing is useless and only designed to steal money from people travelling. 

Need to consider that idea while sober but I couldn’t find an argument against after a bottle of wine 😁

Not correct.

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/italy/entry-requirements

sinking feesh said:

I had to show documentation for everything before boarding both my outbound and inbound flights this week. Customs bloke on the UK border told me that my passenger locator form loaded from my passport - not sure how that works - but it meant I didn't have to show anything else on arrival.

Security at Gatwick was longer than usual which I assume was because not everyone had their forms in order or did them in sufficient time.

I don't really see the point of doing the day 2 test now, would any government agency care if I didn't!?

Flew back to Gatwick yesterday and only had to go through the ePassport gates and no other checks or questions.

Screenshots of passenger locator form and negative pre-flight test (that we took with us and did ourselves) looked at during check-in at the Greek airport.

Have also received the Day 2 test today and will do it and send it back.

An effective process? Don't know.
On the plus side, it has enabled us to get away for a week and only cost £20 each through the TUI booking process.

valleynick66 said:

sinking feesh said:

jams said:

Flew back to England over the weekend. Unless things were happening behind the scenes I was never once asked for anything to do with covid - tests, Vax status etc. Also, thank god I can use the e gates!

I had to show documentation for everything before boarding both my outbound and inbound flights this week. Customs bloke on the UK border told me that my passenger locator form loaded from my passport - not sure how that works - but it meant I didn't have to show anything else on arrival.

Security at Gatwick was longer than usual which I assume was because not everyone had their forms in order or did them in sufficient time.

I don't really see the point of doing the day 2 test now, would any government agency care if I didn't!?

I assume it’s as much for your own benefit of  being asymptotic having potentially been exposed to the virus via people you don’t ordinarily come into close contact with/ different virus strains etc. 

Not perfect by any means but not entirely without some merit. 

I could understand that if the timing was different. I took a test the day before travelling and then had to take one three days later. Presumably the aim is to identify people that have caught the virus in transit yet, from my understanding, it would take longer than two days for the virus to be detectable or symptoms appear.

The timing of the test makes it seem to me that the government want to appear to be doing something to appease certain viewpoints in society, even if it's not very meaningful.

Anybody used the Eurofins drive through PCR test for Day2 Amber return from abroad? They are advertising tests ‘from’ £20 at their Warrington test centre not far from me. I can’t seem to get their on line registration process to work though!  Beginning to look like another bunch of cowboys to me. The sooner this Day2 con is stopped the better!