Heathrow airport said it has a Covid-19 testing site for
arriving passengers “ready for use” at Terminal as it continues to push for the
UK government to implement alternatives to the current quarantine measures. A
second centre is due to open in Terminal 5 next month.
The airport worked with travel services company Collinson
and airport logistics firm Swissport to set up the site, but added it will not
see any use by passengers until the government gives the green light to go
ahead with a pilot to use coronavirus testing to shorten the required
self-isolation period.
According to Heathrow, the site can handle more than 13,000
passenger tests a day and can be scaled up to meet demand. Travellers would
need to book a test online ahead of travelling at a cost of £150 per person,
though the airport hopes the price could be lowered to £50 with a government
subsidy. Travellers would then take a second test at home five to eight days later
and be able to leave quarantine early if both tests are negative.
It comes as sources revealed aviation industry executives
met with the Department for Transport this week to discuss alternatives to the
14-day quarantine and the need to add and remove countries to the travel
corridors list. It is believed the government would only consider a two-test
scheme, as there is a risk of missing cases if people receive a single test on
the first day of infection, and its advisors at Sage recommended two tests as
the most effective option.
Similar double-testing programmes are now being used in
Iceland and Germany.