What is the point of day 2 tests when you return to the Uk?

[tumpymummy]

We have booked a last minute holiday to Spain so I am now getting my head round the tests rules. I dont need to isolate on arrival to the UK, i just do a test on day 2. What's the point of that? I could be walking around infecting anyone with my foreign germs on the day after I return. Surely I should be testing on arrival to the UK?! And with a family what's to stop me just buying one lateral flow, and then using the same code on our locator forms for each member of the family?

I last flew to Spain in September, so this may have changed since then.

But you don’t need to do one on arrival as you’ll have tested within 72 hours of flying home.

The day 2 test is therefore just an extra precaution. Although we got pinged following another passenger testing positive on day 2.

The codes only work once on the passenger locator forms. The airport in Spain checked ours very very thoroughly. It’s not worth trying to cut corners, I’ve flown a few times and every different airport I’ve been through has been happy to turn passengers away

I assume statistically day 2 is the most likely day you'd test positive if you'd contracted covid whilst you were away.

Flew back from overseas last Saturday. No testing needed before departure or arrival (fully vaccinated).

Did my Day 2 test Monday - negative.

Got pinged by Track and Trace on Wednesday that I had been a contact on Saturday of someone who tested positive. On the plane I guess?

Did PCR test, negative again.

So they must be picking up enough positives to warrant it continuing when they've dropped the rest.

The forms won’t accept a repeat booking number, and contrary to what many people will have you believe, they are checked. It’s linked to your passport number. When we came back the border guard scanned our passports and instantly knew who we had booked our tests with.