Quarantine requirements (updated on 15 Feb 2021)
The following information is copied from the link:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-quarantine-when-you-arrive-in-england#early
Please go through the full version on government official website for more details.
What you must do before you travel
Everyone must:
take a coronavirus(COVID-19)test and get a negative result during the 3 days before you travel
book and pay for a travel test package, which will include COVID-19 tests to be taken on or before day 2 and on or after day 8 of your quarantine
complete a passenger locator form with details of where you will home quarantine when you arrive and the travel test package booking reference number
Quarantine for 10 days after you arrive
When you arrive in England, you must travel directly to the place you’re staying and not leave until 10 days have passed.
The quarantine period starts the day you arrive in England and ends 10 days after the day you arrived. This period is necessary because it can take up to 10 days for coronavirus symptoms to appear.
Testing in quarantine
You will need to take a COVID-19 test on or before day 2 of your quarantine period. The day of arrival in England will be treated as day zero.
If you get a positive result from your day 2 test, you must quarantine for 10 days beginning the day after the test was taken (this means until day 13). Your household will also need to quarantine until day 13.
If you get a positive result from your day 2 test, you do not need to take a test on day 8.
You need to take a COVID-19 test on or after day 8, unless you got a positive result
from your day 2 test.
If you get a positive test result from your day 8 test you will need to quarantine until
day 19. Your household will also need to quarantine until day 19.
You will be able to leave quarantine when you have received both a negative result
from your day 8 test and have quarantined for 10 full days.
You can also end your quarantine early through the Test to Release scheme.
Ending your quarantine early: Test to Release
You can still use the Test to Release for international travel scheme. The scheme lets you choose to pay for a private COVID-19 test. If the result is negative, you can stop quarantining.
You cannot take a test until you have been in England for 5 full days.
If you’re planning to use the Test to Release scheme, you must still take a test on or before day 2 and on or after day 8, unless you’re exempt. Even if you get a negative result from your Test to Release and are released from self-isolation, you still need to take a test on or after day 8 to check that you do not have COVID-19.
In summary:
– Tests on day 2 and day 8 are compulsory. A travel test package need to be booked before travelling. It costs £210.
– Test to Release is optional and booked with a private clinic. You do not have to book it before travelling. If it is booked after you have entered into the UK, you need to re-submit the Passenger Locator Form.
– With Test to Release scheme, you can only take the test after having been in the UK for 5 full days, ie. the earliest test date is on day 6.
– Test to Release scheme doesn’t say whether the test could be taken at home or has to be taken in clinic, but different clinics use different approaches.
scheme/”>https://fleetstreetclinic.com/services/coronavirus_covid-19_testing/test-to-release-scheme/
This clinic clearly states, ‘To guarantee accuracy, our Test to Release testing is done at Fleet Street clinic by a healthcare provider.’
Some clinics offer home test kit for Test to Release, like this one, the charge is £95 for a home test kit: “>https://covid19.oncologica.com/
Or, this clinic charges £125 (for result within 48 hours*) and £245 (for result within 24 hours*):
release”>https://www.better2know.co.uk/shop/products/home-testing-kits/covid-19-test-to-release
* after your sample arrives at the lab
– The potential risk with home test kit: in case the sample is not taken properly, the test result will be unclear or inconclusive, which means you can’t leave quarantine.
– Please make sure you have read through every details before ordering Test to Release home kit.
