Travel - Why do we need to tests on day 2 & day 8 if we are isolating?

[gemloving]

This might have been discussed but I had a baby 8 weeks ago & we are travelling to Germany in 2 weeks and staying for 6 weeks to see my family (mum, dad & everyone is over there).

We are well aware that we have to isolate upon return but I don't understand why we have to do tests on day 2 & day 8 if we are isolating anyway. It seems to be turning into a money making machine but I might be wrong

We will have a test 2 days before we leave to drive through France as well.

No harsh comments please, I genuinely don't understand

I can only assume that if you test positive at day 8 you'll need to extend your isolation period for an extra 10 days whilst your infectious

Nice little earner for Tory party donors essentially who own companies you have to use to test. It’s bonkers and pointless as like you say you are isolating anyway.

It may be to trace back if you are positive on day 2, that is the only thing I can think of. The thing I can't understand is that you can test to release on day 5 and finish isolation but if you test negative on day 8 you have to complete your isolation, is it a different special test on day 5 to day 8 or just a money making exercise

I’d guess because you could be asymptomatic and so these tests would pick it up and make sure you further isolated until you were no longer infections. I don’t no the official answer but I think that seems like the obvious one.

@LightasaBreeze

It may be to trace back if you are positive on day 2, that is the only thing I can think of. The thing I can't understand is that you can test to release on day 5 and finish isolation but if you test negative on day 8 you have to complete your isolation, is it a different special test on day 5 to day 8 or just a money making exercise

Now that doesn't make sense!

I always thought it was to trace where infections were coming from.

So if people from countries x y and z mostly tested negative they are considered low risk but if countries a b and c produced a high number of positives we'd know it's high risk.

Also to monitor variants etc.

A significant percentage of UK arrivals is by air. Testing on day 2 is to check if anyone could have been infectious on the plane. If one of the tests comes back positive, most (or perhaps, all) of the passengers have to isolate.

Test to release on day 5 is optional but if people take this route, they still have to re-test on day 8 (even if they are no longer isolating).

If you are feeling flush OP you could do the day 5 test which is meant for the well off in society to escape quarantine early, Prince Harry did this.

@wintertravel1980 yes that would make sense although we are travelling by car but still I understand.

@LightasaBreeze test to release this one makes no sense to me and sounds like someone is making a lot of money with all these test given that I still have to take a test on day 8 and I could have given the virus to lots of people in those 3 days
In case I was positive.

Day 2 highlights if you might have infected the plane so their isolation needs to be extended, Day 8 highlights if you just caught covid so your isolation needs to be extended.

So they can earn money on tests

Cos it's all ridiculous.

I can't get my head around the day 5 test to release but you still have to test day 8 and you could potentially be out infecting others for 3 days, and then go back into isolation.

It's all utter bollocks.

The test to release thing is strange as the incubation period can be up to (and sometimes even over) 14 days, so you could test negative on day 5 and then become infectious on day 7 or 12... So from that perspective it does seem like a money making scheme!

The test to release, I suspect was the governments way of letting what they considered more important people out of quarantine early, at the same time hoping the plebs couldn't afford it