Canaries Antigen Test

Guapo58

Great news that Canaries govt has authorised these “quick and cheap” tests. Pity they do not advise who is doing ior where you can obtsin in UK. We are in Scotland.  Express test at EDI and LGW are only advertising PCR tests. Any ideas??  Googling yields nada!

Westin

Do you have a official link confirming they are now accepting antigen tests rather than PCR tests?  I thought initially this is what those in governance in the Canary Islands had pushed for but that the central government in Madrid had overruled this with the whole of Spain to follow one approach.

Pollycat

GOV.UK, TUI and JET2 are still advising that you need a negative PCR test.

Do you have a link to where this antigen alternative is stated?

I don't think it's the Canaries govt's job to tell potential travellers where they can get tests.

You can't really expect them to know the location of every place that provides these tests in every country that someone is going to travel from.

If anybody should give that advice it should come from tour operators or airlines.

But it is generally known that complying with a country's entry requirements is the responsibility of the traveller.

Westin

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/spain
Currently makes no mention of any change to the condition of entry to the Canary Islands.

It may change but I think it very important that MSE take confirmation of important changes to country entry requirements from official sources rather than based on ‘confirmation’ from a poster. 

eskbanker

I had this debate about the formality of sources in a thread last week, when the move to antigen testing was being proposed by the local council (who since ratified it): https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6221116/heads-up-canary-islands-confusion-on-covid-testing-requirements#latest

That FCO travel page does link to the Canary Islands tourist site, which has now been updated to assert that antigen tests are acceptable, but whether this site is official enough is debatable:

What test documentation is required? 
You need to have diagnostic test for active SARS-COV-2 infection with a negative result. The tests that are allowed are PCR (RT-PCR for COVID-19), and antigen tests that detect SARS-COV-2 antigens with an accuracy of 97% and a sensitivity of over 80% as defined in their supporting documentation.

Westin

Agree with your view point eskbanker on sources of information.   I would hate to think (but sadly can believe)  someone standing at the Jet2 check-in arguing the toss on being allowed to travel because they have read incorrect or misleading information in the Daily Mail or by a poster on an internet forum.

R3dders

https://www.thelocal.es/20201210/spain-modifies-covid-test-requirements-for-travellers.  Just read in The Local ES.  Seems to confirm it however last paragraph states "However the government stopped short of allowing antigen tests arguing that they were still not reliable enough"

eskbanker

R3dders said:

https://www.thelocal.es/20201210/spain-modifies-covid-test-requirements-for-travellers.  Just read in The Local ES.  Seems to confirm it however last paragraph states "However the government stopped short of allowing antigen tests arguing that they were still not reliable enough"

The issue here is that the Canary authorities are choosing to diverge from the position adopted by the Spanish central government, who are reluctant to allow them to do so, which will therefore mean that the Canary position is less likely to be reflected in official publications.

Pollycat

R3dders said:

https://www.thelocal.es/20201210/spain-modifies-covid-test-requirements-for-travellers.  Just read in The Local ES.  Seems to confirm it however last paragraph states "However the government stopped short of allowing antigen tests arguing that they were still not reliable enough"

Great link.

The article states "they would also accept a negative TMA ((Transcription- Mediated Amplification), a more rapid form of testing using a blood sample from a finger !!!!!! rather than a nasal swab."

But - as highlighted by R3dders:

However the government stopped short of allowing antigen tests arguing that they were still not reliable enough.

So it sounds like the original post is incorrect about antigen tests now being acceptable.

It must be a PCR or TMA test.

These two tests have been chosen by the ministry as requirements for entry into Spain given that they directly detect the coronavirus, and as such diagnose an active infection. Antigen tests, which are cheaper and faster, can sometimes pick up past infections, which is why the government has ruled them out for now.

From this source:

https://english.elpais.com/society/2020-12-10/spain-changes-coronavirus-test-requirements-for-air-travelers-exempts-children-under-six.html

eskbanker

Pollycat said:
So it sounds like the original post is incorrect about antigen tests now being acceptable.

It must be a PCR or TMA test.

Not really - the thread is about which tests are deemed acceptable to the Canary Islands, who are knowingly diverging from the stance of the central Spanish government, so recent changes to the latter's position don't negate the point made by OP.

Pollycat

eskbanker said:

Pollycat said:
So it sounds like the original post is incorrect about antigen tests now being acceptable.

It must be a PCR or TMA test.

Not really - the thread is about which tests are deemed acceptable to the Canary Islands, who are knowingly diverging from the stance of the central Spanish government, so recent changes to the latter's position don't negate the point made by OP.

The thread is titled:

Canaries Antigen Test

and goes on to say:

Great news that Canaries govt has authorised these “quick and cheap” tests.

Additionally on another thread the OP of this thread states:

Guapo58 said:

they now accept Antigen test which is quicker but where you get them I do not know

which is clearly not correct.

The OP of this thread clearly believed antigen tests were acceptable for entry to The Canaries.