COVID-19
Official testing for
Travel and Test-to-Release
North West London
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Click on subject in content to go straight there and click on header in the text to go back to content – Content updated 20/02/2021
Test-to-Release:
What is “Test-to-Release” exactly?
Do children need to have a Test-to-Release?
How do I count the first 5 days of self isolation?
Which countries are currently on the ‘Safe Corridor List’?
Which jobs are exempt from test-to-release?
Certification for Travellers to other countries:
What is a “Document of Recovery”?
How do I count the 3 days before travel?
Do children need to have a travel certification?
What information must be provided on a certificate for travellers to and from England?
General FAQ:
When to see-isolate and what to do.
What happens if there is a delay in getting the test result or certification?
From 01/01/2021 on only fully accredited organisations are allowed to provide Medical Certificates about your current COVID-19 test result for outgoing or for returning travellers. For returning travellers there is an option for “Test-to-Release”.
The service is strictly offered on availability of testing slots.
This service is primarily offered to patients of Dr Muller.
The service is restricted to pre-booked and pre- paid appointments at:
(1) Chase Lodge Hospital NW7 2ED
(2) home visits in post code area: all HA, NW 2, NW 4, NW9, NW 10, UB 1, UB 4, UB 5, UB6, UB 10, WD 18, WD19, WD 23
(3) drive by place in HA1
(4) potentially at hotels used for ‘quarantine’ in the Heathrow area
The test will only be offered if all necessary criteria are met (see check list).
Dr Muller has applied for accreditation through UKAS [United Kingdom Accreditation Service] before 31/12/2020 and can continue certifying travellers for flights and “test to release”.
Tests on offer:
(1) Official Certification for Travellers within 3 days before departure of their COVID-19 status.
(2) 5 days after arrival from abroad certification for Test-to-Release depending on your COVID-19 result.
(3) General testing for COVID-19 for non-travellers
(Note) Test on day 2 or before and on day 8 or after following your arrival from abroad currently can only be done through a specific provider: see latest government information
Covid testing will be done by Dr W Muller in dedicated sessions at
Chase Lodge Hospital or
drive by in HA1 or
by pre-booked home visits in the post code area all HA, NW 2, NW 4, NW9, NW 10, UB 1, UB 4, UB 5, UB6, UB 10, WD 18, WD19, WD 23
We are planning to provide limited service to Heathrow Hotels used for government introduced self isolation in hotels before onward travel.
1. Fill in your Passenger locator form and print – save an electronic version
2. Contact official Covid Testing via email: covid@drwmuller.com with the day you need the test.
3. Once you have received a personalised return email that there are testing slots available please provide all relevant information. (If you do not receive a confirmation email then there are no more available slots on that day).
4. You must have Passenger locator form and Registration Form completed
5. You will receive a secure link to upload your files to an encrypted document store
6. Once you have received a confirmation that your details are complete you must arrange pre-payment before the appointment.
7. Once payment has been confirmed the test will be arrange at the agreed location.
8. You must provide confirmation of identity with a passport for all people tested at the time of testing.
Regular patients of Dr Muller can have the tests following consultation or separate but it must be pre-arranged to ensure all details are available.
Currently only laboratory PCR tests are accepted to provide the quality for the Test-to-Release scheme or for Travel certification. Standard Tests take up to 2 days. Rapid tests are more expensive and take 12-24 hours.
Due to unforeseen circumstances delays may occur. Please see the risk of a unforeseen delays to certification.
Costs (Updated 14/04/2021):
Test-to-release in clinic or dedicated site: £180 – usually 1-2 day turn around
Test-to-release Home kit: £150 – usually 1-2 day turn around (standard posting)
Test for Certification for outbound Travel £150 – usually 1-2 day turn around
Test for Certification for outbound Travel £250 – usually 12-24 hour turn around
Test on day 2 and day 8 of returning travellers not covered at present.
General Testing without certification £25 – £200 depending on test
Home/Hotel visit for sampling: additional £150 one off
Once the test has been booked the full amount will be charged. If no proof of ID is provided no certification can be issued but the full amount will still be charged.
Please see important information about unforeseen delays!
The full amount of fee is also charged for unclear (indeterminate) and positive results.
If you are returning from a country, which is currently not on the safe ‘travel corridor list’ or in other words, is ‘on the quarantine list’, you must self isolate for 10 days. However if you are able to provide a negative test result, which is certified by an accredited private organisation you may end self isolation after 5 days as long as you and your household members do not show any symptoms of COVID-19. There may be certain countries which are specifically excluded from ‘test-and-release’! The NHS testing service is not able to issue you with a certification, in order to avoid overloading it, as it is free for symptomatic and increasingly asymptomatic people but not travellers.
Be aware that when you arrive on Monday anytime your Day 1 for self isolation will be Tuesday.
Source: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-test-to-release-for-international-travel
For Test-to-Release in the UK children also need a test. The government has not specified a lower age range on the website.
“You will have to pay the private test provider for your test. You will need to book an individual test for each person opting into Test to Release, including children.”
Source: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-test-to-release-for-international-travel
For travel abroad you must check up-to-date regulations for the specific country you are travelling to.
When you arrive in the UK the first day of isolation starts on the following day irrespective of the time you arrive on a given day. For example if you arrive on a Monday at 8:00 am your Day 1 of self isolation will be Tuesday and your Day 5 for “Test and Release” which is the Saturday. You have to self-isolate until you have the official test result.
Source: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-test-to-release-for-international-travel
A transit stop is a stop where passengers can get on or off. It can apply to coaches, ferries, trains or flights. Your ticket should show if a stop is a transit stop.
If your journey involves a transit stop in a country, territory or region not on the travel corridor list, you will need to self-isolate when you arrive in England if:
- new passengers get on
- you or other passengers get off the transport you are on and mix with other people, then get on again
You don’t need to self-isolate beyond normal timescales if, during your transit stop in a non-exempt country, territory or region:
- no new passengers get on
- no-one on-board gets off and mixes with people outside
- passengers get off but do not get back on
Source: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-travel-corridors (accessed 02/02/2021)
always check latest advice on the official government website:
on 02/02/2021 no foreign countries were exempt or on the ‘Safe Travel Corridor’ list
Source https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-travel-corridors (accessed 02/02/2021)
Every country will have its own regulations and there is not a single website which can cover this.
The best way is to check is via an official website for the specific country you are visiting about current travel restrictions.
The UK has also a comprehensive Travel advice for most countries in the world.
Source: https://www.gov.uk/world
TIP: These regulations can change fast and you will have to check it frequently and certainly up to your departure. We expect that imminent changes are announced in advance but this may not be true for every country.
TIP: Also make sure you look on a date of last update of the information provided. Every official website should provide this.
TIP: Travel restrictions can be very different from going to a country to coming back from that country to the UK.
USA (CDC): https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/testing-international-air-travelers.html
Germany (Bundesregierung): https://www.bundesregierung.de/breg-de/themen/coronavirus/faq-reisen-1735032
Germany (registration for entry – multilingual) https://www.einreiseanmeldung.de/#/
always check latest advice on the official government website:
Source https://www.gov.uk/guidance/transport-measures-to-protect-the-uk-from-variant-strains-of-covid-19#travel-bans-to-the-uk—banned-countries (accessed 04/04/2021)
If the country you have visited during your travels is on the high risk list you cannot be exempt form test-to-release [TTR].
There are certain jobs which exempt you form test-to-release [TTR] unless you come from a high risk country.
Information that the test result must include
Your test result must be in either English, French or Spanish. Translations will not be accepted, and you must provide the original test result certificate. It must include the following information:
- your name, which should match the name on your travel documents
- your date of birth or age
- the result of the test
- the date the test sample was collected or received by the test provider
- the name of the test provider and their contact details
- the name of the test device
If the test result does not include this information you may not be able to board, and may not be able to travel to England. If you arrive without a test result that includes this information, you will be committing a criminal offence and could receive a £500 fine.
Your test result can be provided as a physical, printed document, or via email or text message, which you can show on your phone. Make sure that your device is charged.
Source:
Coronavirus testing before travel to the UK
You must have proof of a negative coronavirus test to enter the UK. Read about:
see FAQ:
I have had COVID-19 recently – what can I do if I need to travel?
You have to check the requirement for your specific country you are travelling to yourself and work out the best time of the test for you.
For travellers to the USA 3 full days before Travel is accepted (e.g. if you are Travelling on a Friday at 1 pm you can get the test on Tuesday anytime.
Source: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/testing-international-air-travelers.html
TIP: Check carefully as other countries may have less of more of a 72 hour rule before travelling or stick to exactly less than 72 hours (e.g. if you are travelling on a Friday at 1 pm you must have a negative test result from Tuesday 1 pm onwards).
You must check the latest recommendation for your specific country you are travelling to. The Centre for Disease Control [CDC} in the USA have specified that you may qualify for a “documentation of recovery”.
Source: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/testing-international-air-travelers.html
Please note that Dr W Muller Ltd will only issue a “documentation of recovery” if you are a patient of Dr Muller and you had a positive test result with Dr W Muller Ltd over 10 days before travel and have fully recovered.
always check latest advice on the official government/NHS website:
The government has published list of providers which are currently recognised.
We are happy to provide the information below on alternative private organisations.
This service is not offered by the NHS in order to concentrate on emergencies.
Source: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-test-to-release-for-international-travel
All testing companies are fully aware of the implications of travel disruption and cancellation of travel arrangements due to unavailable test results in time. However these situations occur in very rare circumstances and are out of the hands of the testing company:
Therefore Dr Muller issues the following advice:
For outbound travel it is essential to allow 72 hours before departure for test results to become available.
Dr W Muller Ltd will not accept liability for any delays or disruption of travel plans including cancellation of flights in case the certification is not possible in time. This may be due to unforeseen time delay, testing capacity issues of the laboratory or incomplete information being available at the time of certification.
So far the company has not had any delays and will publish the data here on a regular basis. (last updated 20/02/2021)
If a rapid test result is not available after 48 hours and a standard test after 72 hours the invoice paid to Dr W Muller Ltd for the test results will be reimbursed. Any other costs will not be covered by Dr W Muller Ltd.
1. Can you come to Chase Lodge Hospital , drive by testing in HA1 or do you live in the post code area all HA, NW 2, NW 4, NW9, NW 10, UB 1, UB 4, UB 5, UB6, UB 10, WD 18, WD19, WD 23 ?
2. Do you have an electronic version of your Passenger locator form in advance of your appointment?
3. Are there available test slots on the day you need the test?
4. Have you filled in the Registration Form for Dr W Muller Ltd with ALL details?
5. Have you had a confirmation email that your test can go ahead?
6. Can you bring passports for all people tested at the time of the appointment?