The minefield that is international Covid-19 testing…
Mercifully the UK Government, for England at least, are moving towards streamlining and simplifying the Covid-19 testing regime over the coming weeks. From my experience on a holiday to Cyprus recently, Covid-19 testing is a minefield.
3 good experiences, 1 difficult
To start with, I had a few good experiences in this new era of travel. Firstly, due to needing a PCR test prior to travel, I decided to use the pricey but effective ExpressTest by Cignpost. I live within a reasonable walking distance of Paddington Station where they have an in-person testing centre. I took the test at 09:00 on the Friday and they aim to deliver results by 22:00 the next day at the latest (although not guaranteed). They actually beat this timeline and I received the results at 05:00 on the Saturday with a testing certificate. The test is expensive at GBP 75 per person compared to other providers but were very reliable and their reviews online reflect this.
Next was my use of Chronomics whom I used for my Test to Return to the UK which cost GBP 20 per person. At the time, returning to the UK required a rapid lateral flow test. Unlike other providers like Qured where you are aided via video call, you follow the instructions on their website and take a photo of your negative test once complete. This is open to abuse but during my experience I found it worked effectively and produced a test that could be used for travel. The certificate was produced by Chronomics within a couple minutes of submitting the photo enabling me to travel.
Conversely my partner had a nightmare with Chronomics which was extremely stressful. He completed the test successfully, however the website appeared to fail, and he couldn’t upload the results meaning no test certificate could be produced. We attempted to re-register the test which would not work and after checking the Chronomics account where the test appeared, it still wouldn’t let me upload the results (this time on a difference device). We contacted the company who resolved the problem within four hours, which is a decent speed to respond, although by this point we had already gone to the local medical centre to get another test fearing that we would not be able to resolve the problem in time. I’d recommend if travelling abroad to go to a medical centre or pharmacy. At least in Cyprus, they are able to issue testing certificates on a government Ministry of Health letterhead confirming negative test – all for just EUR 5-10. This was far easier and less stressful for everybody.
Be careful of agents having incorrect regulations
It’s been reported and I have first-hand experience that agents working at check-in desks may have access to old, inaccurate information that hasn’t been updated recently. This is unsurprising as the situation is changing quickly but it can cause hiccups in your travel experience when an agent is insisting on a PCR test even though you only require vaccination proof. Check the latest travel regulations before travelling on your government’s Foreign Ministry website, such as GOV.UK’s FCDO site, as well as your destination government’s website for entry requirements and be sure to take a screenshot so you can quickly show the agent if they have contradicting information. It may help in a difficult situation.
Have you had any issues with testing or incorrect information when travelling? Let us know in the comments.
