After the UK has emerged from lockdown and most legal Covid-19 restrictions have been lifted, I decided to finally visit this country. The UK has been on my bucket list for a few years now, but because of the uncertainty in the world, I kept postponing it. Now, you are only required to have a Covid-19 test after your arrival and provided it comes negative you are free to enjoy your holiday. I know that the tourism industry was hit hard during the outbreak, and now the UK government is focused on returning its last glory and attract tourists from all over the world.
Entry Rules For The UK
There are many records that state how much impact the covid-19 outbreak had on the UK’s tourism industry. One such record states that there was an eighty per cent drop in flights to and from the UK during the entire lockdown. This is considered a disaster by the UK’s tourism industry, especially for the big cities like London and Edinburgh that were most heavily affected by the pandemic. The decrease in flights led to fewer tourists travelling to these cities. The drop in tourist arrivals caused a severe dent in the revenue of these destinations. The airports have suffered severely as well. The once known Heathrow airport was partially closed and was only working a third of its capacity. With the introduction of large scale testing came a bit of hope for the travelling industry. So essentially the main rule that you have to abide by in order to be granted entry in the UK, provided that your documents are in order and you have a visa, is to make a booking for a PCR test to be done on the second day of arrival.
But even now, many travellers that are extensively aware of the covid-19 outbreak still do not take adequate precautions before travelling. In most cases, they do not carry the right kind of travel insurance cover and do not have Covid-19 tests book in advance. In many cases, lack of proof showing that they have booked their day 2 test resulted in unnecessary delays at airports and ports leading to more problems. Many people had to spend long periods in queues to board their flight due to health screening measures in place.
Booking My Day 2 Test Heathrow
To my surprise, the booking process was very simple, I found a good Covid-19 testing provider and went on their website to inform myself of the testing process. Given that Heathrow is one of the main airports in the UK, and I was flying to Heathrow I’ve decided to book my day 2 test at the Heathrow Airport. I made the booking online, took me less than 10 minutes, and was ready for my adventure. When arrived at the testing centre noticed how fast the tests were performed. It seemed like an easy task from where I was standing but is quite a hard job to do. In order to be accurate, swab samples must be taken carefully and later brought to the lab for further analysis.
What Does PCR Testing Entail?
PCR Testing stands for Polymerase Chain Reaction and is the most commonly used testing procedure for coronavirus. The same technology is used for paternity tests. Polymerase chain reactions are a procedure widely used in biotechnology to rapidly create millions of copies of a particular DNA sequence, enabling scientists to take a small sample of DNA from an individual’s cells and amplify it into a high enough quantity to test for paternity. The amplified DNA sequence is then compared with the genetic material found in a sample of the individual’s blood to determine if they are related. If the DNA sequences match up, then the conclusion is positive.
In order to perform a PCR test for viral or bacterial DNA, samples of the individuals’ genetic material must be taken from one person. These samples can be collected from the throat or/and nose. Many people choose to have a PCR test even if they do not have covid related symptoms, as there are known to be cases of covid that do not exhibit any symptoms. PCR testing is also helpful to determine the history of certain diseases such as chronic Hepatitis C, HIV, and Lymphoma.
Final Words
In an interesting analysis published by the Financial Times, travelling during the covid-19 outbreak was said to be more dangerous than normal, and I guess I agree. But as long as you plan everything in advance and ensure that you follow health advice on how to protect yourself, you might be able to actually enjoy your journey. Make sure to research every aspect of your journey, including the day 2 test Heathrow process to avoid any surprises. Make sure you get there on time and follow the advice given.