New travel guidance

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alan
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New travel guidance

Post by alan »

For those who haven't seen this, here is the new travel guidance for travel to England which has just been published

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-to-e ... vaccinated
Karrie
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Re: New travel guidance

Post by Karrie »

As our travel plans have been somewhat thrown up in the air can anyone tell me where we can get a lateral flow antigen test on Sunday 26th December for travel back to the UK on 27th? All pharmacies are presumably shut. The covid centre in Prades is shut on a Sunday too. Ideally we need somewhere we can get to early on the morning of the 26th between Prades and Perpignan. If we can't access, I assume we can't travel, which means us cancelling our family Xmas :cry: :cry: :cry:
Karrie
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Re: New travel guidance

Post by Karrie »

Forgot to say that I've tried the link in the post above and none of the centres open on a Sunday and of course the Saturday is Xmas day. It's going to be an emergency pharmacy we need, assuming that they will oblige.
alan
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Re: New travel guidance

Post by alan »

Karrie

Is it possible that you are actually flying back to the UK on 27 Dec? I think that the testing centres at both Toulouse and Montpellier airports have testing centres open that day. Alternatively, when we were in Port Vendres in September, a neighbour mentioned that he understood that there was a nurse who would do a home visit to carry out a test and provide a certificate for travel. Obviously, it will be quite expensive to do this but would you like me to contact him for details? Another possibility is to do a home test where you can send a photo of the test to the provider who will then email a certificate back.

Alan
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Re: New travel guidance

Post by Pighunter »

Don't know where you are based but there is a test place in a portakabin in the car park of the La Jonquera Grand outlet which is open every day including holidays, see here, no booking necessary https://www.granjonquera.com/fr/magasin/test-covid

I used it for my girlfriend a couple of weeks ago on the way to Barcelona airport and got the right result!
Karrie
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Re: New travel guidance

Post by Karrie »

Thanks all. We will be in Prades. I've checked out Montpellier airport, the centre there opens at 8.15 so it may be a possibility but it's so last minute that it comes with it's own stress and would be an hour before we check in. Not much fun at all.
Karrie
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Re: New travel guidance

Post by Karrie »

Thanks Pighunter for the info. Had a look but it is 1 hr 40 each way, so hoping to find something nearer. By mistake looked up the address of the Doctor on the website that the testing centre partnered with rather than Jonquera Center which is actually closer at 1hr 2 mins. So may well be an option the day before. Thanks again.
Last edited by Karrie on Tue 07 Dec 2021 17:12, edited 1 time in total.
Karrie
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Re: New travel guidance

Post by Karrie »

alan wrote: Tue 07 Dec 2021 00:38 Karrie

Is it possible that you are actually flying back to the UK on 27 Dec? I think that the testing centres at both Toulouse and Montpellier airports have testing centres open that day. Alternatively, when we were in Port Vendres in September, a neighbour mentioned that he understood that there was a nurse who would do a home visit to carry out a test and provide a certificate for travel. Obviously, it will be quite expensive to do this but would you like me to contact him for details? Another possibility is to do a home test where you can send a photo of the test to the provider who will then email a certificate back.

Alan
Alan - if you could find out about the nurse service that would be great. It maybe there is someone local to us in Prades who can do it .
Karrie
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Re: New travel guidance

Post by Karrie »

Spookily this has just been published Connexion 7th December

Visitors from the UK can bring a British lateral flow test kit with them to use for their ‘pre-departure’ test to return to the UK, officials confirm.

With the return of an obligatory pre-departure test for entering the UK today, we checked the rules on using a UK test for this, avoiding the need to find a provider in France.

A spokesman for the UK’s Department of Health and Social Care said this is possible, bearing in mind certain provisos:

It is not permitted to use ‘NHS’ lateral flow self-test kits such as those available from some British pharmacies, with the result self-registered on a website. “Our gov.uk website is clear that NHS tests cannot be used for this purpose,” the spokesman said.

A test obtained from a private provider is acceptable if they, as a minimum, carry out a photo verification of the negative result and report it back to the UKHSA health agency. In which case the photograph must identify the test as being the provider’s test, show the unique test booking reference of the traveller, and a clearly visible result. It is not enough for the test to be verified only over video.

The spokesman said that some travel companies sell such tests, often abbreviated to LFD (lateral flow device), as part of their travel package.

Those going for very short stays in France and returning to the UK can also make use of the same negative UK test result they used for travel into France, for their return trip.

For this to apply, you must depart France within the two days of taking the test in the UK, eg. if you took it on a Friday and travelled on the Saturday, you could come back with the same test on the Sunday if you were just staying one night.

The UK does not offer a specific list of lateral flow test providers, but some of the same providers listed by the government for day two and eight tests also provide these to be sent out to your home. See here for more information.

You can also do a web search for providers, using terms including ‘lateral flow’ and ‘fit to fly’.
alan
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Re: New travel guidance

Post by alan »

"Alan - if you could find out about the nurse service that would be great. It maybe there is someone local to us in Prades who can do it" .

I have sent our neighbour an email and will let you know when he responds.

AS regards, the Connexions article, I think a lot of people are taking private tests with them but the timing is a bit tight for you.

Alan
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Re: New travel guidance

Post by alan »

Karrie

Another thought

You say "I've checked out Montpellier airport, the centre there opens at 8.15 so it may be a possibility but it's so last minute that it comes with it's own stress and would be an hour before we check in"

If you are flying to Gatwick with Easyjet there are 2 flights on 27 Dec. One is at 10.05 and the other is 11.30. If you were on the earlier flight, say (and I'm making an assumption here) could you move to the later flight which would give you more time to get a test at the airport? There shouldn't be a change fee with Easyjet

Alan
Karrie
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Re: New travel guidance

Post by Karrie »

Thanks Alan.
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