There are a number of things you need to consider when you arrive in England from your trip abroad.  Here’s our round up of important facts you need to know.

Is this just for England?

Yes, although the UK is in national lockdown, there are different rules in the other UK nations (Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland)

Should I book my tests before I travel?

Yes, we recommend that you book tests before you go away so that you are ready for your Day 2 test when you arrive back in England.  Anyone in your party, except children under 5, should book a test package (which consists of two tests for Day 2 and Day 8).

Rapid Health Test is a UKAS accredited private provider as listed on the U.K. Government website and once you have booked your test package, we will give you two numbers:

• A unique locator form number for Day 2
• A unique locator form number for Day 8

Enter these two numbers onto your Passenger Locator Form which will also contain the address where you will be staying during your quarantine period.

What should I do when I arrive in England?

It’s important to understand what to do when you arrive in England, as there are a number of penalties for not following the law.  These range from a fine of £2,000 for not taking tests, to £10,000 for breaking quarantine rules and even the threat of imprisonment for providing accurate information about your trip.

Make sure you:

• Travel directly to the place where you intend to stay, which you have indicated on your Passenger Locator Form.
• Do not leave for 10 days.
• If your stay is less than 10 days, you need to quarantine for the entire duration of your stay and then;
• Travel back directly to the port or airport when it’s time to leave.
• Avoid Public Transport and read the safer travel guidance leaflet for more information

Your quarantine period starts on the day you arrive in England and ends10 days after the day you arrived. There is a good reason for your quarantine being 10 days because it can sometimes take this long for the symptoms of Coronavirus (Covid-19) to appear.

What type of tests do I need to take?

The test you need to take is the PCR (Polymerase chain reaction) Test will detect the presence of antigens in your body. This will then be sent to an external accredited laboratory so that they can detect whether or not you have a variant which might be of interest or concern in our fight against Coronavirus.  Your test results and personal details along with any information on variants (if necessary) will then be shared with Public Health England.

Our test packages (Day 2 and Day 8) are available to buy on our site before you travel so that you are well prepared.  You can either come into our Truro clinic for these tests or do them in the comfort of your own home.

How can I cut my quarantine short?

If you are travelling from an ‘Amber’ or an ‘Opt In’ country, you may be able to cut short your quarantine period.  Notes, this doesn’t apply to countries on the ‘Red List’.

If your Day 2 test is negative, you are able to have another test on Day 5.  This can be done at home or in our Truro clinic.

If your Day 5 test is also negative, then you are free to break your quarantine, however, you still must carry out a test on Day 8.

When you order a test package from us, this will include:

• Test Kits
• Shipping Costs
• Analysis of your sample
• Full instructions

As you can imagine, this situation is developing fast, so please keep your eye on government websites for the latest developments.

Photo credit: Arie Wubben on Unsplash