LONDON (UK) – The government has joined hands with Heathrow Airport to come out with a plan to use coronavirus screening in a bid to shorten quarantine time for returnees from overseas. This is part of an effort to help airlines and airports boost travel.
Officials at Heathrow said on Wednesday that a testing area will be opened as soon as Britain gives approval to a rule change and allows two tests- one on arrival and another some days later.
According to the existing rules, those returning from the US, Spain, France and several other countries must go into self-quarantine for 14 days.
Health minister Matt Hancock said the government was still working out a plan with the airport and there were challenges in ensuring that all of those infected were detected.
“I’m very glad that they’re making progress, but we’ve got to make sure that this is safe and secure because obviously that is absolutely top priority,” Hancock said.
British Airways, easyJet and Ryanair want the government to introduce testing instead of quarantine and follow in the footsteps of Germany which has enforced compulsory, free coronavirus screening for those arriving from high-risk countries.
“We believe a UK testing protocol based on the German model would stimulate significant demand whilst protecting public health,” said the CEOs of the airlines in a letter to the transport minister.
They said removing quarantine would promote more connectivity between Britain and the US and help the economy recover.
The testing facility at the airport, which has been set up by medical travel company Collinson and airport services firm Swissport, is ready to be operational at Terminal 2 and can handle 13,000 tests a day. Another facility at Terminal 5 will be ready within a few weeks.
Passengers have to shell out 150 pounds for the “gold-standard PCR test”, which can detect COVID-19 even before the onset of symptoms.
(Photos syndicated via Reuters)
This story has been edited by BH staff and is published from a syndicated field