To be able to fly into the US you need to have a covid test (either PCR or lateral flow antigen) no more than 3 days before travel and get issued with a certificate. Home tests are not acceptable unless done under video supervision by the company supplying it. We decided it was easier to get the test done at the airport a couple of days before travel.
It looks like this has just changed to within 1 day of departure.
Yes from Monday it's 1 day before departure, instead of 72 hours. Just sneaked in as flying out tomorrow
Graham
We are flying from Inverness to Heathrow on 4th January and then to Florida on 5th January. We have a fit to fly pcr test booked on Sunday 2nd January in Aberdeen. So does that mean we can't do the 72 hours before flying test?Originally Posted by Mr G
Yes from Monday it's 1 day before departure, instead of 72 hours. Just sneaked in as flying out tomorrow
If we have to try and change it to 24 hours before flying, do you need to get one that gives you the results right away?
And what happens if they change the rules again. How can you keep chopping and changing dates days before you fly.
When we arrive back at Heathrow on January 27th we are booked in to an hotel for the night. Can't find any information anywhere to tell us if we can still do that or do we need to be able to get back to Inverness on the 27th instead of the 28th.
Last edited by smiler; 04-12-2021 at 08:03.
Angie & Davy
Under the new US rules you need to take the test on 4 Jan or 5 Jan. It can be anytime on the 4th, it does not have to be within 24 hours of your flight to the US. It does not have to be a PCR test - a lateral flow test (rapid antigen test) meets the requirements, so you should be able to get the results quickly. The official US rules are here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019...ir-travel.html.
When you return to England and have a long journey within the UK, you can stay at a hotel en route, but you must quarantine there if you have not got your negative PCR test result. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-q...e-quarantining
And now you have the added complication of also getting a test result in the US in the 48 hours before you fly back. We fly back next Thursday and are now trying to work that one out!
[QUOTE=And now you have the added complication of also getting a test result in the US in the 48 hours before you fly back. We fly back next Thursday and are now trying to work that one out![/QUOTE]
Please let us know the outcome.
Angie & Davy
As a bit more reassurance re my last.
have just read the UK Gov Info re testing it doesnt state 48 hours
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavi...take-your-test
It actually states;
*********************************
When to take your test
You must take the test in the 2 days before your service to England departs.
For example, if you travel directly to England on Friday, you could take a test any time on the Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. The test result must be available for boarding.
**********************************************
I actually past the free testing offer to some UK guest staying two doors away from me, as we were discussing tests yesterday.
They had booked Walgreens but didnt know if it would be free.
They are from Scotland and so they went to the one of the above 'Center for Covid Control' this morning, (1944 Osceola Pkwy, Kississme, 34743) four of them, all tested negative, received email within 1 hour, uploaded to Flyready and received approval within 1 hour.
He said it saved him over £120 as he had booked the Orlando airport one for $65 as a back up to Walgreens.
I will be going Friday am for my test.
Opening hours for the pop up are
Monday 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday Closed Now
Sunday Closed Now
By the way, apparently it is a container in the middle of the car park for anyone trying to find it. It really is a pop up.
Hope the above helps and add some reassurance re required Covid testing in the US
Last edited by Mr G; 08-12-2021 at 18:18.
Graham
In the end we opted for the safer option of getting tests at MCO, rather than the free version that other people have found. We were worried whether the certificate would give all the details required to check in (some of which are not obvious - the name of the physician who ordered the test??). We made an appointment and went yesterday morning. Despite the appointment, there was about a 30 minute wait to take the test, pay our $65 each (cards only), then 45 minute wait for the results, so we were at the airport almost 2 hours altogether. Directions were dire. "Just before security" - but there is more than one security check point. Allow plenty of time.
They only give a paper certificate there, not emailed, so online check in was a pain. We used the Verifly app (flying BA). We could scan and upload the certificates, which Verifly then had to review and confirm by email that they were OK.
The UK passenger locator form was also a pain, very badly designed - unlike the US online form on the way over which was integrated with Verifly and worked well. The PLF asked for evidence of vaccination (could not pick that up from Verifly), and would not accept our NHS Covid Pass directly. You could either scan the QR code (not much good if you are using a computer), or upload a file continuing a QR code - but it would not accept a file with more than one QR code - like the NHS Covid Pass!! In the end I took a photo of the part of my Covid Pass with just the relevant QR code, transferred the photo file to my computer and uploaded that, and it was accepted. You needed all that to check in. Eventually we managed to check in for today's flight from Tampa, but it took a long time. I dread to think what the queues are like for check in at the airport if someone has to go through all that for each passenger.
I cannot take credit for the below which I have appropriated from elsewhere but due to the confusion re covid testing in the US I wil post this for info
Having read the Center for Covid Control FAQs it seems these tests are legitimate and free. Company HQ is based in Rolling Meadows, Illinois with labs around the US including Orlando, Fort Myers and Cape Coral. Test centres:
6239 Edgewater Drive, Orlando, 32810
1944 Osceola Pkwy, Kississme, 34743
2708 Santa Barbara Blve, Cape Coral, 33914
4125 Cleveland Ave, Fort Myers, 33901
829 Northwest 21st St, Miami, 33024
7050 Pines Blvd, Pembroke Pines, 33024
6201 Sheldon Rd, Tampa, 33615
Appointment and health insurance is not necessary, just walk-in, test is nasal self swab. All can walk in for a test, foreign nationals must take their passport as proof of ID and, I assume but don't know, for their version of fit to fly certificate/whatever they supply. LFT results are verbally given in 15 minutes with test results emailed within 3 hours. They also tests kids from the age of two.
Free Rapid Antigen test via Center for Covid Control has, so far, panned out for Andy (Dibb member), he said
Good Morning All
So me and my mother drove to Kissimmee this morning to enquire about these tests.
The testing facility itself is a small pop up centre in the middle of a strip mall car park near Dollar Tree. The lady running the centre was absolutely lovely and explained everything we had to do. She gave us a card to fill out and you scan the QR code with your phone which lets you register online. Once registered, she did the test (just a small swab up 1 nostril, she didn't push hard at all).
And then within an hour me and my mother have both got our emails confirming we are negative. The email confirmed the name and address and contact details of the facility who administered the test, our names and date of births, the time the test was taken, the type of test and the result. All the suitable details were on the email as per UK Gov guidelines.
All this cost was $3.50 in tolls to the area! Would highly recommend and glad I didn't spend $70 now!
Graham
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