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Coronavirus: Travel

Question for Department of Health and Social Care

UIN HL8128, tabled on 15 September 2020

To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the efficacy rate of a single COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction test for international travellers upon their arrival in circumstances where no pre-departure test has been conducted.

Answered on

12 October 2020

Scientific analysis conducted by Public Health England and approved by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies showed that a single test on the day of arrival would reduce the number of infectious international travellers who enter the community by only 7% compared to a no self-isolation, no test scenario. This is compared to an estimated 99% reduction in the number of infectious international travellers entering the community for a 14-day self-isolation approach.