Travel industry pins hopes for an end to 14-day isolation on new two-stage testing scheme at airport, with results delivered in hours Antonia Wilson Wed 19 Aug 2020 15.22 BST Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare via Email A new Covid test centre is ready to start rapid testing of inbound passengers arriving at Heathrow airport’s Terminal 2, as soon as the government gives it the go-ahead. Arrivals would find out results within 24 hours of being tested, replacing the need for a 14-day quarantine. More than 13,000 passenger tests a day can be carried out in the facility, launched by aviation services firm Swissport and the Collinson Group, which runs airport lounges. A second test centre will be ready at Terminal 5 by the end of August, and operators say both centres are scalable according to demand. The proposed pilot scheme would use a two-test model, which has been used successfully in Iceland: this involves a first test taken at the facility on arrival in the UK, and a confirmatory test a few days later. These are PCR swab tests, used to directly detect antigens, indicating the presence of the virus, rather than tests of the body’s immune response, or antibodies. The optional tests will cost £150 each, but this could be reduced if the scheme was scaled up. Heathrow is waiting for the green light from the government to allow arrivals who test negative to leave quarantine much sooner. It is hoped that replacing quarantine measures with testing will help restore consumer confidence and give the travel industry a much-needed boost. The government is thought to be meeting next week to discuss the plans. Other potential schemes include single testing of all arrivals after a period of quarantine at home, which could be five to 10 days. Health minister Matt Hancock said that the government was working with Heathrow but foresaw challenges in ensuring all cases were detected
pandamic problem naw a days