Response on Tours and PCR test after disembark from P&O

[picsa]

4 hours ago, tring said:

 

Now I wonder how accurate that is?

 

Regards the two day PCR tests we have already arranged ours for a cruise starting next week and they cost £40pp.  Even if we had used the link provided by the Cruise line (Fred), they still would only have cost £77pp.  They are being offered by quite a number of companies and numerous prices are in the £40 - £50 range with Fred's Bupa one being the most expensive that we considered.  

 

Likely quite accurate.

 

If you look at the government approved supplier list there are an awful lot of firms providing tests for £20.
 

However it is obvious from the social media chatter that people buying the £20 tests are doing so because all they want is a code for the PLF and have virtually no intention of taking the self-administered test, which may or may not turn up from the government approved £20 seller.

 

So either the government has to go with something more rigorous such as forcing people to attend a location for an administered test or give up on the test requirement where there is a low risk such as with the double jabbed from green and amber counties.

[jeanlyon]

Agree and I have also just heard mention of them stopping the requirement on the news this lunchtime.

[molecrochip]

Amber List scrapped - start of October

 

PCR tests scrapped for returnees if double jabbed - end of October.

 

Lateral flow test in advance of return scrapped - start of October.

[molecrochip]

This is why people had to wait.

[NoFlyGuy]

If a lateral flow test is still needed two days after return to England from 'late October', how much cheaper will that be?

Surely it will still need to be sent to a lab otherwise everyone can just say 'I administered the test at home and it was negative'.

[jeanlyon]

Never heard of a lateral flow test going to a lab.  I have a whole box of them here.

[picsa]

15 minutes ago, NoFlyGuy said:

If a lateral flow test is still needed two days after return to England from 'late October', how much cheaper will that be?

Surely it will still need to be sent to a lab otherwise everyone can just say 'I administered the test at home and it was negative'.

 

Aside from the issue that it is just as easy to cheat with the currently required self-administered PCR test as it is with a self-administered LFT, do you really believe that someone from Border Control actually checks that everyone has done the 'Day 2' PCR test and sent it back and got their results.

 

If you do believe that then I have some shocking news for you!

[davecttr]

You can't send a lateral flow test to a lab as the result is invalid after about 30 minutes. Video supervision won't work either, especiaslly if you don't have the smart trchnology.

[davecttr]

It appears to be all on trust so good luck with that, maybe the real reason is making the test cheaper to satisfy the travel industry.

[picsa]

18 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

Never heard of a lateral flow test going to a lab.  I have a whole box of them here.

 

You mean the ones provided free by the NHS - those can't be used for travel. You will pay at least £25 for a (pointless) LFT test for travel.

[Technoman2]

They are selling the Lateral flow test on P&O ships for £18 but how does that work when you need to fill in the passenger locator form i assume before you travel. I was confused to start with. Maybe P&O will release some clarifying info because even looking at the .gov website it would appear the 2 day PCR is still required until later in October and not on this current change. Where's Simon Calder when you need him lol

[zap99]

21 minutes ago, davecttr said:

You can't send a lateral flow test to a lab as the result is invalid after about 30 minutes. Video supervision won't work either, especiaslly if you don't have the smart trchnology.

Once they deem to fill us in on the details, it may be that your ' LFT test kit ' contains a swab and a sample tube. You could then send the sample tube to the lab. If you chose to obtain the sample from somebody who you have screened previously with a free LFT, then you should be thoroughly ashamed of yourself. Naughty quarantine step for you.🤔

[NoFlyGuy]

11 minutes ago, picsa said:

 

Aside from the issue that it is just as easy to cheat with the currently required self-administered PCR test as it is with a self-administered LFT, do you really believe that someone from Border Control actually checks that everyone has done the 'Day 2' PCR test and sent it back and got their results.

 

If you do believe that then I have some shocking news for you!

No I don't believe Border Control or anyone else checks everyone has done their test, but they can check some.

My point was there's no point mandating any tests unless, some at least, are followed up.

As I understand it now, we have to have a booked reference number for a PCR test on return to England.

If the PCR test requirement goes what's the point of the Passenger Locator Form?

 

[picsa]

2 hours ago, NoFlyGuy said:

No I don't believe Border Control or anyone else checks everyone has done their test, but they can check some.

 

“Can” and ‘do’ are not the same thing at all.

 

If you look at the government approved list of suppliers that has dozens of companies with names like 00000011111AAAAAA Medical (made up) Ltd all with a TrustPilot score of 1 star and comments of “never got my test”, do you really think anyone is stupid enough in Border Force to have a go at a passenger who bought the test from the 1 star but government approved supplier but didn’t receive it so couldn’t return it after taking the test?

[wowzz]

5 hours ago, Technoman2 said:

Where's Simon Calder when you need him lol

You mean the "rent a quote" ex baggage handler? 

 

[Technoman2]

We have now booked the day 2 test with Randox , ok its not cheap but i suppose it will give us some reassurance on return that we have not been infected. Staysure insurance have a discount code for Randox which is STSRANDOX which may help reduce the cost.

[jeanlyon]

I've been doing lateral flow tests for my office.  They give me a box and we do 2 a week.  So what's the difference between that and the one you need for the ship.

[Technoman2]

32 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

I've been doing lateral flow tests for my office.  They give me a box and we do 2 a week.  So what's the difference between that and the one you need for the ship.

None as far as im aware Jenny but you cannot use the NHS ones as you have to be certified (no pun intended lol) both are antigen tests.

[davecttr]

1 hour ago, jeanlyon said:

I've been doing lateral flow tests for my office.  They give me a box and we do 2 a week.  So what's the difference between that and the one you need for the ship.

Thee NHS one is free and the rapidly expanding test provider industry  would scream the roof off if the government gave away free ones. Shareholders and chums you know 😉

[jeanlyon]

I am still not clear.  If you do a lateral flow test, you do it at home, wait 30 mins and it tells you neg or pos.  What's the difference with the ones you have to buy?  You still do it at home and report the result.

[davecttr]

45 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

I am still not clear.  If you do a lateral flow test, you do it at home, wait 30 mins and it tells you neg or pos.  What's the difference with the ones you have to buy?  You still do it at home and report the result.

Yes the details are somewhat hazy. I checked out some providers for the 2 day PCR test and the procedure was you provided the sample, saliva or whatever, in the tube, sealed it and posted it to their lab, getting the result back by email in a couple of days. You could do this with a lateral flow test as well. However!, there is nothing to stop you using someone else's saliva if you really want to cheat. It might be somewhat confusing if the email said 'Mr X, we are pleased to tell you that your COVID test was negative but you appear to be pregnant - congratulations.

 

might be a good idea to make falsifying tests a criminal offence

[picsa]

5 hours ago, davecttr said:

However!, there is nothing to stop you using someone else's saliva if you really want to cheat.

If you really want to cheat you don’t even need to involve saliva at all.

 

And as for supervised tests being more reliable, for the pre-return to the UK tests I heard of one testing centre in an overseas tourist resort having two prices for their tests; a standard price for a normal test or a higher price if you wanted a guaranteed negative result . No wonder the government is abandoning that farce from October.