Testing at Heathrow

Collinson, together with Swissport and Heathrow Airport, for the time being only are providing Covid-19 facilities, for flights to Hong Kong (HKG) in T2 and T5.  A date for the New York services is yet to be announced.

The Hong Kong Government moved the UK into its ‘red’ category at the beginning of October.  They now require passengers travelling from the UK to Hong Kong to take a test pre-departure but say that rapid LAMP tests can be used pre-departure.  This requirement is in addition to the arrivals RT-PCR test that the Hong Kong Government administers themselves at HKG. It does not replace this test.

At Heathrow – passengers flying to Hong Kong are denied boarding if they do not have a negative test prior to departure.

Only Hong Kong residents can travel to Hong Kong from the UK.

If passengers travelling to Hong Kong test positive on arrival into the country from the tests that the Hong Kong Government administer, they need to quarantine at a facility provided by the Hong Kong Government.

Collison point out that they are working directly with the Hong Kong Government as well as British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Virgin Atlantic.  Passengers traveling to Hong Kong via other airports are subject to the full RY-PCR test and complications at the third-party connecting point and in the case of China border problems.

See also Covid-19 testing explained in this issue and BTN 26 October Heathrow departures tested.

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OUR READERS' FINEST WORDS (All times and dates are GMT)

All comments are filtered to exclude any excesses but the Editor does not have to agree with what is being said. 100 words maximum

Tony Tyler,

So, to go from London to HK I need to get tested (with negative results) before departure, then tested again on arrival (waiting for about 12 hours without access to proper food/drink for the result), then either go to a hotel for 14 days (if negative) or to a government facility (if positive or seated within two rows of someone else who tested positive). I think I’ll wait for a while....

Keith Wallis, Canterbury, England

It’s probably useful to point out that even if the tests are negative the Hong Kong government still requires travellers to undergo a 14-day mandatory quarantine at a government designated hotel. There are only very few people (aircrew or government officials for example) who don’t have to quarantine.