Leaving quarantine for testing

[Nightwithhertrainofstars]

Hi all,
I wonder if anyone can help me clarify whether it's possible/advisable to book on site testing following arrival from an amber list country. I'll be arriving from the European country where I live into England and so will have to quarantine and complete tests on days 2 and 8 at least. I also intend to do the 5 day early release test. With so much emphasis on quarantine and checks being carried out etc, I've become unsure about whether it's okay to leave quarantine in order to get a test. I was planning on booking tests to do at home but thought that at least for the day 5 test, results might be quicker if I take the test at a testing centre. I'd appreciate it if anyone has any links that address the question of leaving quarantine for testing. And also on whether it's true that results are generally faster if the test is done on site. I'm visiting a very rural area which makes me think it'll take a long time for results to be collected. I'm keen to leave quarantine asap, of course! Sorry for waffle, first time post for this lurker!

What kind of place is the test centre, a private clinic? You could phone them and ask. They should have all the info on the procedure you need to follow.

The nhs testing centres that you can go to in person, wouldn’t test you for travel quarantine purposes.

www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-test-to-release-for-international-travel This says you can leave quarantine to go to a test centre

Yes you can - which makes a mockery of the whole system. There is no rule that you have to go to the nearest test centre or that you have to go straight there and back. So if you live in Brighton and fancy a days shopping in London just book your test in London. Just do not lie to test and trace if they ask you where you are.

You can also leave home quarantine for essential shopping, mental health reasons etc.

Thanks for your responses, that's been a big help. I think I'll book postal tests for days 2 and 8 and an in-person test for day 5 in the hope that it might be processed slightly more quickly. I was thinking about the in-car test sites etc but of course that's only NHS testing so it will have to be a private clinic.

You know the rules change Monday right ?
So from 19th you don’t need to !
Assured screening send to where you are staying
Find the cheapest one that will deliver and hang tight til Monday !

@Thisisworsethananticpated

I think the isolating from certain countries isn’t stopping on Monday

All Amber for twice vaccinated to clarify

Our tests were couriered to our house the day before day 2 and day 8

Unfortunately I received my vaccinations in the EU so still have to quarantine!

Why is that !? Surely a vaccine is a vaccine ?
Is that wrote in law

It's because there is no mechanism at all for the UK border force to validate any vaccines other than NHS delivered ones.

Until the EU open their vaccination passport app to checking by the UK, or the UK chooses to simply accept the word of the person, or a simple "letter" as per yellow fever typically, then that has to be the only route.

It's likely the EU will open their app at some point, but they have not yet.

There is a paper EU vaccine certificate issued after people have had two vaccines which includes the name and date of birth of the person and the batch numbers etc of the vaccines administered. No reason for border force not to accept this.

Also exists in digital form

It can be trivially faked! (as can yellow fever etc. ones) but the app can be confirmed with identity and the system, that is what would need to be provided, just as the NHS one is confirmed against the NHS.

If people want vaccination passports, then they need to exist more than something anyone can just print off themselves on a printer!

@sirfredfredgeorge

I am not talking about the yellow vaccination cert. It is more sophisticated than that - with a machine readable QR code with the patient data in. Doubtless it could be faked. But I think Border Force would be able to take a view on whether middle aged Brits resident in the EU would be likely to run the risk of doing that. Much easier to get vaccinated. Which most people have done.

machine readable QR code with the patient data in

This is the bit that the EU won't provide to people outside yet, the link from the QR code to the official record, that is what makes it secure.

Middle aged brits won't need to "take a chance", as they know full well that the EU does not provide the border force with the ability to look up the code - and their privacy restrictions won't let them.

It will change, but it's not the case now.