Passengers will be asked to register online for the test before heading to Heathrow
London:
London Heathrow Airport began rolling out paid rapid coronavirus tests on Tuesday, with results within an hour, as it seeks to boost demand decimated by the deadly pandemic.
The LAMP saliva test, which does not have to be processed in a lab, will cost $ 102 per passenger and is initially available for passengers traveling to Italy and Hong Kong from Terminals 2 and 5.
The Covid-19 test will deliver results faster than those used by the UK’s National Health Service, according to Heathrow test providers – aviation services company Collinson and logistics company Swissport.
Passengers will need to register online for the test before traveling to Heathrow, which is based in the west of the British capital.
Collinson and Swissport described the tests as a “critical step” in the recovery of the aviation sector, “restoring the confidence of travelers and reopening routes from the UK to the rest of the world“.
Italy and Hong Kong require passengers to provide proof of a negative Covid-19 test before departure, a statement added.
However, last week the UK government removed Italy from its list of travel corridors, meaning travelers from the country must self-quarantine when entering the UK.
Passengers arriving in Britain from Italy, San Marino and the Vatican state must now self-isolate for 14 days, under new guidelines that came into effect on Sunday.
Italy has joined other top tourist destinations on the list, including France and Spain, as a second wave of coronavirus sweeps across Europe and triggers tighter restrictions on public life.
British Airways’ new chief executive, Sean Doyle, on Monday urged the UK government to end the quarantine of passengers arriving from overseas in order to boost tourism and revive economic growth.
(Except for the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
