Changes to testing on arrival for fully vaccinated travellers from outside the Common Travel Area, excluding UK Red List countries.
From tomorrow (Wednesday 27th October), fully vaccinated travellers arriving in the Bailiwick from outside the Common Travel Area (CTA), who have NOT spent time in any UK Red List country in the 10 days before their arrival, will no longer be asked to do a PCR test.
Instead, they will be required to purchase a pack of five lateral flow tests, the first of which they must take on their day of arrival. The pack of five LFTs will cost £25. It is a legal requirement for arrivals from outside the CTA to purchase the LFT pack and take a day of arrival test. Arrivals are then recommended to continue the course of five LFTs, but this is not mandatory.
These travellers are being advised to make their way home or to their place of accommodation as soon as practicably possible and undertake their day of arrival LFT test. They will not need to self-isolate pending the result of that LFT and will not have to report negative results. However, should they receive a positive LFT result they must immediately contact the clinical helpline on 220001 or 220002 to book in for a confirmatory PCR test. They will be required to self-isolate until the result of the PCR test in this scenario and must follow any other restrictions or requirements imposed by the Medical Officer of Health.
A States of Guernsey representative said: “We are aware that there will be travellers arriving into the Bailiwick that will fit these criteria from tomorrow. Changes are required to the Travel Tracker to give effect to these latest amendments to travel restrictions, which were announced at the COVID-19 press briefing last week, and these changes will be made live in the Travel Tracker tomorrow morning.”
“As such, anyone arriving in the Bailiwick from outside the Common Travel Area (but who has not spent time in a UK red list country) should complete their Travel Tracker pre-arrival form from tomorrow onwards. If any passenger has already completed the Travel Tracker we would ask that they complete a new journey from tomorrow before they travel.”
“Following the changes to the Travel Tracker, travellers meeting this criteria be required to select a region for the country they have departed. Travellers should select both the region that fits their personal circumstances and their vaccination status in their travel history.”
Those who are fully vaccinated will come through as a BLUE traveller thus will be required to purchase a packet of five LFTs for £25 rather than one PCR test.
All other passengers arriving into the Bailiwick that are not impacted by these changes are reminded to complete a Travel Tracker pre-arrival form prior to arriving in the Bailiwick. As announced last week, the window for the completion of the Travel Tracker pre-arrival form prior to arrival into the Bailiwick has now been extended to eight days.
“Completion of the Travel Tracker pre-arrival form prior to arrival will ensure that passengers pass through the ports as quickly as possible. However, please note that passenger numbers are high this week due to the half term break and travellers should expect to encounter some delays at peak times,” said the States of Guernsey representative.
