You are supposed to quarantine for 10 days on arrival in England if you have been to a country or territory on the amber list. Under the Test to Release scheme, you can choose to pay for a private COVID-19 test. In the result is negative, you can end your quarantine.
Remember that you cannot take your Test to Release test until you have been in England for five full days. This scheme is voluntary and applies to those quarantining in England only. If you don’t want to opt into this scheme, you will need to quarantine for ten days.
If you have been in or through a country or territory on the red list in the ten days before arriving in England, you cannot take part in the Test to Release scheme.
So, how exactly do you take part in the scheme? In order to take part in the Test to Release scheme, you need to book a test before you travel to England and enter details of your test in the passenger locator form. Remember that you are supposed to pay the private test provider you will choose for your test. You have to book an individual test for each person opting into Test to Release, including children of all ages.
Your test provider can either send a test to your address, or you can choose to attend a testing site. You can leave your house to post your test or you can travel directly to and from the testing site. It is imperative that you follow safer travel guidance and avoid public transport if possible.
Keep in mind that if you choose Test to Release, you still need to book and take your two compulsory travel tests. You can book Test to Release at the same time as your compulsory tests. In case you decide to take part in the scheme after arriving in England, you will need to complete another passenger locator form.
For more information on the Test to Release scheme, visit our website at https://www.harleymedic.co.uk/