Virgin tests to Barbados

The Collinson and Swissport pre-departure Covid-19 testing facility at Heathrow T2 is to be used on selected Barbados flights out of Heathrow from 9 December by Virgin Atlantic.

Customers will be requested to take a free rapid, point of care, lateral flow antigen test before they fly, delivered by health professionals at the Terminal 2 pre-departure testing facility.

The airline says as well as providing additional peace of mind and a further layer of health and safety for customers, crucially the trial will gather further real-world evidence on pre-departure testing effectiveness to enable the UK Government to move quickly to a robust pre-departure testing regime for all flights and safely remove quarantine.

The Heathrow – Barbados flights also operate onwards as a ‘double drop’ service to Antigua or Grenada (depending on the service) so customers to these destinations will also be within the scope of the trial. Passengers aged five years and below will be exempt from the trial. The lateral flow antigen test will not replace existing testing protocols to enter the countries (for example, Barbados customers will still need to arrange a valid negative PCR test, three days prior to arrival).

Shai Weiss, Chief Executive of Virgin Atlantic, made his position clear, and not just for his airline: “Moving to a pre-departure regime, supported by latest independent evidence, would be twice as effective as quarantine”.

www.virginatlantic.com

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