New testing requirements as of 07/01/2022 - England

CKhalvashi

Hi all,

Just wanted to give a heads up for everyone who hasn't seen the new testing requirements from this weekend, for some strange reason confusingly being brought in 2 changes.

From 0400 on Friday 7 January 2022, ENGLAND will remove the requirement for a pre-departure test

From 0400 on Sunday 9 January 2022, ENGLAND will switch the Day 2 requirement from PCR to Lateral Flow

soolin

CKhalvashi said:

Hi all,

Just wanted to give a heads up for everyone who hasn't seen the new testing requirements from this weekend, for some strange reason confusingly being brought in 2 changes.

From 0400 on Friday 7 January 2022, ENGLAND will remove the requirement for a pre-departure test

From 0400 on Sunday 9 January 2022, ENGLAND will switch the Day 2 requirement from PCR to Lateral Flow

Thank you, we have been following the announcements with interest this afternoon . Not having to do the LFTs before we depart for the UK will save us £35 each which is useful. Interestingly I had day 2 PCR tests booked with testing4all and late afternoon got a message from them to say I didn’t need them so my order was cancelled and refunded, and instead they sent me a link to book LFTs at £17 a go, so I saved a great deal on that transaction as well. 

CKhalvashi

soolin said:

CKhalvashi said:

Hi all,

Just wanted to give a heads up for everyone who hasn't seen the new testing requirements from this weekend, for some strange reason confusingly being brought in 2 changes.

From 0400 on Friday 7 January 2022, ENGLAND will remove the requirement for a pre-departure test

From 0400 on Sunday 9 January 2022, ENGLAND will switch the Day 2 requirement from PCR to Lateral Flow

Thank you, we have been following the announcements with interest this afternoon . Not having to do the LFTs before we depart for the UK will save us £35 each which is useful. Interestingly I had day 2 PCR tests booked with testing4all and late afternoon got a message from them to say I didn’t need them so my order was cancelled and refunded, and instead they sent me a link to book LFTs at £17 a go, so I saved a great deal on that transaction as well. 

That's nice of them.

We're going away this weekend, so will need a test to get back into Poland (from Georgia, self-connecting through KRK), but there was doubt over whether that would be ok to get back into the UK due to tight timings and a cancelled flight (5 hours in Poland changed to 1 day and 5 hours), so at least that's another worry gone as well as being lower cost due to LFD instead of PCR.

izawa

Assume you are travelling to a country where PCR is required. Previously you end up doing 5 tests:

Before:
1 - (UK) 48 hours before departure PCR

2 - (Destination) On arrival PCR

3 - (Destination) Before departure PCR

4 - (UK) Day 2 PCR

5 - (UK) Day 8 PCR

According to latest rules, this is how it looks:

1 - (UK) 48 hours before departure PCR

2 - (Destination) On arrival PCR

3 - (Destination) Before departure PCR

4 - (UK) Day 2 Home LFT

5 - (UK) Day 8 Home LFT (PCR only required if LFT is positive)

Is my understanding right?

eskbanker

izawa said:

Assume you are travelling to a country where PCR is required. Previously you end up doing 5 tests:

Before:
1 - (UK) 48 hours before departure PCR

2 - (Destination) On arrival PCR

3 - (Destination) Before departure PCR

4 - (UK) Day 2 PCR

5 - (UK) Day 8 PCR

According to latest rules, this is how it looks:

1 - (UK) 48 hours before departure PCR

2 - (Destination) On arrival PCR

3 - (Destination) Before departure PCR

4 - (UK) Day 2 Home LFT

5 - (UK) Day 8 Home LFT (PCR only required if LFT is positive)

Is my understanding right?

No, https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-to-england-from-another-country-during-coronavirus-covid-19 covers the new rules about return journeys to England after this weekend and states (for those fully vaccinated):

3 - (Destination) Before departure PCR

4 - (UK) Day 2 Home LFT

5 - (UK) Day 8 Home LFT (PCR only required if LFT is positive)

and only if the day 2 LFT is positive are subsequent further tests needed to end self-isolation.

CKhalvashi

izawa said:

Assume you are travelling to a country where PCR is required. Previously you end up doing 5 tests:

Before:
1 - (UK) 48 hours before departure PCR

2 - (Destination) On arrival PCR

3 - (Destination) Before departure PCR

4 - (UK) Day 2 PCR

5 - (UK) Day 8 PCR

According to latest rules, this is how it looks:

1 - (UK) 48 hours before departure PCR

2 - (Destination) On arrival PCR

3 - (Destination) Before departure PCR

4 - (UK) Day 2 Home LFT

5 - (UK) Day 8 Home LFT (PCR only required if LFT is positive)

Is my understanding right?

Assuming fully vaccinated, without number 3 and 5. This requirement is dropped from Friday. Pre-departure could always be LFD.

Assuming not vaccinated, correct, except 4 and 5 will need to be PCR tests.

In my personal case under current rules:
1 (UK) LFD on date of departure for Poland (evening flight)
2 (Georgia) LFD for Poland on day before departure (morning flight)
3 (UK) LFD on arrival in UK, which can be done at home.

If I were travelling direct (not currently possible) and not self-connecting, I'd only need 3rd from Monday, being exempt from 1 and 2 on the basis of my vaccine status.

I have 3 vaccines, the booster done on December 23.

onashoestring

izawa said:

Assume you are travelling to a country where PCR is required. Previously you end up doing 5 tests:

Before:
1 - (UK) 48 hours before departure PCR

2 - (Destination) On arrival PCR

3 - (Destination) Before departure PCR

4 - (UK) Day 2 PCR

5 - (UK) Day 8 PCR

According to latest rules, this is how it looks:

1 - (UK) 48 hours before departure PCR

2 - (Destination) On arrival PCR

3 - (Destination) Before departure PCR

4 - (UK) Day 2 Home LFT

5 - (UK) Day 8 Home LFT (PCR only required if LFT is positive)

Is my understanding right?

The Day 2 & Day 8 test requirement was only for unvaccinated travellers arriving in U.K. and remains the same - still 2 x PCR tests required and quarantine for full 10 days after the day you arrive.

The change of  rules announced yesterday apply only to fully vaccinated and under 18s and at the time of writing only to England.

Sandtree

You need to look at all rules in both countries... in principle agree with eskbanker however its possible that countries/airlines may require some form of testing before any flight and so whilst 3 is no longer required by the UK (and it was a lat flow test anyway) something could be required.

Whilst we often have to talk in generalities on forums in these days you need to closely look at the specifics before making your own decisions.

soolin

As a fully vaccinated person travelling to Spain and back to England my new test regime after the new rules  is

1) LFT on return to England taken within 2 days.

and that’s it. 

jimi_man

soolin said:

As a fully vaccinated person travelling to Spain and back to England my new test regime after the new rules  is

1) LFT on return to England taken within 2 days.

and that’s it. 

Yup, I'm off skiing in Spain shortly and this has been a welcome change. I've still got a £12 LFT from before the rules changed so I'm set. Perfect timing!

Especially good as I had Covid over Christmas so there is no guarantee I'd test negative on a Day 2 PCR. LFTs seem less sensitive.

zagfles

CKhalvashi said:

soolin said:

CKhalvashi said:

Hi all,

Just wanted to give a heads up for everyone who hasn't seen the new testing requirements from this weekend, for some strange reason confusingly being brought in 2 changes.

From 0400 on Friday 7 January 2022, ENGLAND will remove the requirement for a pre-departure test

From 0400 on Sunday 9 January 2022, ENGLAND will switch the Day 2 requirement from PCR to Lateral Flow

Thank you, we have been following the announcements with interest this afternoon . Not having to do the LFTs before we depart for the UK will save us £35 each which is useful. Interestingly I had day 2 PCR tests booked with testing4all and late afternoon got a message from them to say I didn’t need them so my order was cancelled and refunded, and instead they sent me a link to book LFTs at £17 a go, so I saved a great deal on that transaction as well. 

That's nice of them.

Testing4all allow full refunds on cancellation for any reason I think. I had to cancel a test with them due to me changing my travel plans and got a full refund within days.