Should negative testing be allowed as a condition for quarantine-free travel?

[Lucidas]

Reading up on the how the Indian variant of the virus ended up in Greece:

^The country's public health agency said in a statement that the virus strain was detected in a foreign woman aged 33 who lives in the Athens area and had travelled to Dubai on April 4.

The woman had a negative PCR virus test result when she left Dubai, the agency said...^

How much value are these tests anyway if they don’t pick up a substantial number of cases? I’m seeing vaccination / negative PCR test being equated as a condition of holidays and travel when it’s clear that vaccination is a much more reliable way of guaranteeing reduced transmission of the virus.

Do you think they’ll eventually scrap the test part and insist on vaccination only?

The issue is the incubation period which can be 2-14 days but is usually 3-4 days.

Vaccination isn’t a guarantee either though. There is no 100% safe way to do this, which is why most countries are encouraging no traveling.

No traveling would be better or compulsory quarantine managed like Australia with hotels and monitoring.

How much value are these tests anyway if they don’t pick up a substantial number of cases?
The tests have a lot of value in confirming an infection for medical treatment purposes and for requesting contacts to isolate.

Tests won't pick up the disease for most people in the earliest period after infection before it's fully taken hold, as everyone has known for over a year now, and as you find with almost every other virus. That's why there has been test and quarantine rules.

@IceCreamAndCandyfloss

No traveling would be better or compulsory quarantine managed like Australia with hotels and monitoring.

But for how long? It can't go in forever. The travel and tourism industry must be on their knees already. There is an awful lot of people employed in these areas. A friend's son is a pilot and his first flight for over 9 months is next week. He has friends who have been hit harder than that and some who have lost their jobs already.

Zero covid will never happen, so at what point so we allow people to travel?

Fully vaccinated or negative test result should be fine. It would minimise the risk massively. I'd be happy for it to be LFTs too.

Insisting that all airlines have their filters turned on throughout too.

I am supposed to be flying within the uk at May half term. Nothing to suggest I won't be able to at present. I will be fully vaccinated by then. Dh will have had one vaccine, but second not due until after we get back.

I have had covid. I will be fully vaccinated and I do twice weekly LFTs. The risk from me and to me must be minimal.

It’s not just about detecting or picking up the disease - it’s the fact that a vaccinated person entering a country is much less of a covid risk than someone’s who’s genuinely negative for covid but is still unvaccinated. We know now that vaccinated people are significantly less likely to get infected in the first place, asymptomatically and symptomatically. As a result, less likely to be super spreaders.