Feb 2nd, 2021
3 mins
Can the Test to Release after 5 days policy be applied to seasonal workers in quarantine on farm? Does this test need to be a PCR or Lateral Flow?
• The Test to Release scheme is not available to anyone who has been in or through any country that is subject to a travel ban in the 10 days before arrival in England.
• Anyone who arrives in England from outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, and has not been somewhere that is subject to a travel ban, may choose to pay for a private COVID-19 test after 5 full days of isolation. You can opt in to the Test to Release scheme if you have a qualified exemption and are only allowed to leave self-isolation for work-related activities. This includes seasonal agricultural workers. More information about how the scheme works and how to take part is available online at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-test-to-release-for-international-travel#exempt-jobs
• The test must be booked with one of the private test providers approved by the government for Test to Release. This list is available online at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/list-of-private-providers-of-coronavirus-testing/list-of-private-providers-of-coronavirus-testing
• Currently, PCR tests are required to meet the minimum performance characteristics required for Test to Release. This may change as new technologies become available. More information about the minimum standards for testing is available online at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/testing-to-release-for-international-travel-minimum-standards-for-testing/minimum-standards-for-private-sector-providers-of-covid-19-testing-for-testing-to-release-for-international-travel
