Testing at days 2 and 8

[redsturgeon]

Remember the new requirement for ALL new entrants to England.

Just in case you don't here is the rule from the government website:

If you’re travelling to England you must:

take 2 coronavirus (COVID-19) tests after you arrive in England - you’ll need to book these before you travel

You must also pay £210 for these tests.

So far so good.

Today we had a client phone up for their 5 day test for early release. We asked them if they have had their compulsory two day test. They hadn't, It had not arrived, they have spent hours on the phone trying to chase it up. They finally go through yesterday evening, they spoke to an American lady. Don't try to phone again, she was told, there is nothing she can do about it but perhaps the 8 day test will come through. If it doesn't then there was no idea if she would be reimbursed her £210. She was told that there was a four hour wait for phones to be answered.

I can't comment further, except to say that there are 400 government registered providers of Covid test out there already who have been told they have to go through another assessment process to see if they qualify to be able to administer this process but at the moment the whole thing is being managed by a government appointed company with no experience of Covid testing.

John

[Nimrod103]

Remember the new requirement for ALL new entrants to England.

Just in case you don't here is the rule from the government website:

If you’re travelling to England you must:

take 2 coronavirus (COVID-19) tests after you arrive in England - you’ll need to book these before you travel

You must also pay £210 for these tests.

So far so good.

Today we had a client phone up for their 5 day test for early release. We asked them if they have had their compulsory two day test. They hadn't, It had not arrived, they have spent hours on the phone trying to chase it up. They finally go through yesterday evening, they spoke to an American lady. Don't try to phone again, she was told, there is nothing she can do about it but perhaps the 8 day test will come through. If it doesn't then there was no idea if she would be reimbursed her £210. She was told that there was a four hour wait for phones to be answered.

I can't comment further, except to say that there are 400 government registered providers of Covid test out there already who have been told they have to go through another assessment process to see if they qualify to be able to administer this process but at the moment the whole thing is being managed by a government appointed company with no experience of Covid testing.

John

Why is the client coming here? Shouldn't you be going to the client?

[redsturgeon]

Remember the new requirement for ALL new entrants to England.

Just in case you don't here is the rule from the government website:

If you’re travelling to England you must:

take 2 coronavirus (COVID-19) tests after you arrive in England - you’ll need to book these before you travel

You must also pay £210 for these tests.

So far so good.

Today we had a client phone up for their 5 day test for early release. We asked them if they have had their compulsory two day test. They hadn't, It had not arrived, they have spent hours on the phone trying to chase it up. They finally go through yesterday evening, they spoke to an American lady. Don't try to phone again, she was told, there is nothing she can do about it but perhaps the 8 day test will come through. If it doesn't then there was no idea if she would be reimbursed her £210. She was told that there was a four hour wait for phones to be answered.

I can't comment further, except to say that there are 400 government registered providers of Covid test out there already who have been told they have to go through another assessment process to see if they qualify to be able to administer this process but at the moment the whole thing is being managed by a government appointed company with no experience of Covid testing.

John

Why is the client coming here? Shouldn't you be going to the client?

Where did I say they were coming to us?

John

BTW it is fine if they do.

[Nimrod103]

Remember the new requirement for ALL new entrants to England.

Just in case you don't here is the rule from the government website:



You must also pay £210 for these tests.

So far so good.

Today we had a client phone up for their 5 day test for early release. We asked them if they have had their compulsory two day test. They hadn't, It had not arrived, they have spent hours on the phone trying to chase it up. They finally go through yesterday evening, they spoke to an American lady. Don't try to phone again, she was told, there is nothing she can do about it but perhaps the 8 day test will come through. If it doesn't then there was no idea if she would be reimbursed her £210. She was told that there was a four hour wait for phones to be answered.

I can't comment further, except to say that there are 400 government registered providers of Covid test out there already who have been told they have to go through another assessment process to see if they qualify to be able to administer this process but at the moment the whole thing is being managed by a government appointed company with no experience of Covid testing.

John

Why is the client coming here? Shouldn't you be going to the client?

Where did I say they were coming to us?

John

BTW it is fine if they do.

I assumed they were coming from a foeign country, for a meeting with you in the UK. Hence the questioning about testing to obtain early release. Why else would they need to be tested?

[Lootman]

Today we had a client phone up for their 5 day test for early release. We asked them if they have had their compulsory two day test. They hadn't, It had not arrived, they have spent hours on the phone trying to chase it up. They finally go through yesterday evening, they spoke to an American lady. Don't try to phone again, she was told, there is nothing she can do about it but perhaps the 8 day test will come through. If it doesn't then there was no idea if she would be reimbursed her £210. She was told that there was a four hour wait for phones to be answered.

I will have to go through this next month (even though I will have been vaccinated twice by then, but that is another story).

I would be perfectly happy if due to incompetence the tests never arrived. My main concern would be that I am not punished for failing to comply with the rules. I would not expect to get my £210 back in that case. I would just regard the £210 as the cost of entering the country, at least until May when I assume it will be reviewed given that is when we are all allowed to go on holiday again, supposedly.

It doesn't surprise me that the facility is a mess but I guess as long as you are making a nice little earner out of this you are not too concerned either. Good luck to you.

By the way, I did not know that the 5-day test and early release works any more. I had assumed it was superceded by the 2 and 8 day tests. If that works then is the 8 day test moot?