PCR testing
Comments
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We called into our local Randox test centre for advice
They advised us to before leaving France in March book our return day 2test .
Lots of things can happen between now and March .
Hope this helps.
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I fear you’re correct. Just checked my tests and they’re manufactured in China of course. I wonder how much more coal they’re burning to feed the global demand for tests? As a business strategy it’s genius…create a pandemic and then sit back and watch your economy grow exponentially on the back of it!
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Given the frequency with which the testing criteria is applied, I wonder how long it will be before travellers go for the 'civil disobedience' option and just return home without these various tests completed or booked. What would they do? Shove you back on the ferry too France, chuck you in jail?
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I must admit one could be tempted with that AD. when we came back from Spain last month we did our day two at a drive in testing place, not cheap and results were emailed within 12 hours. The others we came back with booked a self test day 2 kit from the gov website, the test kits never came but at least they had the test numbers for the PLF form. Just as you've said before a total rip off to deter people from travelling and spending their money elsewhere.
JK
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In practise you should not be allowed to board your ferry or plane to depart for the UK unless you have valid negative test and the PLF has been submitted, so not a case of being sent back.
Not tried putting in a made up test serial number into the PLF, but my guess it will not work, there is probably a central data base somewhere logging all these serial numbers
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Doing tests we brought with us on a regular basis. If we test positive then so be it nothing you can do about at that stage.
Lanzarote are set up for the eventuality. They have insurance, if you arrived on the island negative and catch it here you are covered for your extended stay in a facility until able to travel. Hopefully that won't happen.
The island has dropped back to level 1 as there are hardly any cases. You have to be fully vaccinated when arriving or had a negative test. That is now changing to being fully vaccinated only. Children aged 12 - 15 also have to be fully vaccinated.
To be honest it's probably one of the safest places to be just now. Things are still strict here, it's their lively hood so why wouldn't they be.
Much more compliance with masks and yes if you don't wear one in a place you should you are soon told off.
Life has to go on, take care where you go, who you mix with and be sensible. That's all you can do.
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Day 2 tests booked and paid for. Should be at home waiting for us on our return £35 pp. We will need to isolate for a couple of days but that's no hardship as I've no intention of going anywhere especially supermarkets in the run up to Christmas.
I will be busy doing the washing and ironing and OH will be catching up with admin etc.
We are going to family for Christmas day all being well and if not then we have a big freezer full of food that I bought before coming away. It's all in the planning
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Apparently some folks have successfully reused old PLF test booking reference codes which have proved negative. Some have gone as far as sharing the code with friends.
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There doesn't appear to be. I know more than one person who has used the same code on more than one occasion, without any come-back in the form of anyone checking up, certainly not to date - and he original code was used many months ago. As long as the original code is a legitimate one it appears that it can be used more than once!
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What confidence can we have in a system with loopholes like that? It’s all becoming a bit of a nonsense, Omicron is here and community transmission is already evident. The contribution of international travel to it becoming the new dominant strain will be insignificant compared to Xmas parties, football matches, shopping, hospitality and social lives moved indoor etc, etc. At best it’s political gesturing - domestic restrictions are the only thing that will have any real impact.
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I agree, particularly as it's an easy enough option to set a 'field' in a form that has to have a unique value, making sure that the Reference number for the PCR tests is unique! I worked for the NHS for years, and this was something which was done regularly.
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"What confidence can we have in a system with loopholes like that?"
Bill Gates Microsoft launched Windows NT in 1983 and they are still trying to get it right.
with the speed that some of these data bases/apps have popped out to cope with Covid testing/tracing etc, many were probably written on the back of a fag packet or cobbled together from off the shelf programmes.
But i agree it is a bit of a shambles, but the experts say we have got another 5 years of this before Covid becomes just another flu type bug, so we will just have to live with it.
watched a news clip last night which showed Italian Police jumping on buses to check that people had been vaccinated or had a negative test result, not quite got to that stage in the UK yet
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….watched a news clip last night which showed Italian Police jumping on buses to check that people had been vaccinated or had a negative test result, not quite got to that stage in the UK yet…..
Let’s hope we never do, but I think they have the highest number of police per capita in Europe so they need something to do. Even the guys who check tickets on the bus are armed. 😧
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A friend of ours, dual national, left the uk for a holiday to see her family abroad. She chose a different airport than usual, leaving her car with uk family and intending to stay with them on return and see new grandchild. I'm wondering how she'll sort this one out, something she couldn't plan for at all.
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Tricky one. At least it’s not left in an airport car park. A return delay of 10+ days could be expensive at airport parking rates.
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Have just read the posts about people trying to beat cheat the system. Have they no senses of guilt or social responsibility. We used a Boots Lateral Flow code on our UK Locator Form a few weeks ago and would not think about trying to use it again.
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There appears to be some disparity between the cost of a PCR here and reported costs of PCR tests abroad, not to mention the significant variety of prices quoted in the UK.
Given that this is a government directive, why is there not a specified price applicable to all. Private companies that perform MOTs cannot charge any old price, so why are these fly by night companies allowed to rip us off?
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Are you saying these were tests obtained some time back? We have two packs, home use and van use, which we picked up free from pharmacies a while ago.
I didn't think these could be used...only newly 'logged' ones?
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But is it not the case that the "pre departure" test can be a lateral flow carried at a local pharmacy? TBH I am very confused over the new regs,and I don't think the media and specifically the Government are making it clear. All I can find is" you must have a negative covid test 24? / 48? hours before boarding plane/ferry/tunnel.
Not going "over there" until June so hopefully I'll know the answer by then!
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I think it’s either PCR or LFT in the 48 hours proceeding departure back to the UK followed by PCR only within 2 days of arrival in UK. LFT tended to be cheaper than PCR, what’s the betting that will change 😏
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A few weeks ago returning Brits we’re being fleeced for PCR tests before being allowed to travel home….all of sudden they’re no longer required! What a shambles! What degree of confidence can the Government expect for this yo-yo policy with no continuity that achieves absolutely nothing except windfalls for a few well connected contractors.
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