UK Travel Update & live Covid Q&A
If you’re currently juggling the impossible decision of whether to move forward with your wedding plans or whether to reschedule, we really are thinking of you. It’s been an incredibly tough time and making decisions on what to do is an absolute minefield.
The UK Government has however set out a framework for the safe return of international travel and we’ve broken it down to try and help you make sense of it and move forward with your decision making.
• Pre-departure test before flying
• a PCR test on the second day back home
• Quarantine for 10 days on return home
• Take a PCR test on day 2 of being home
• Take a PCR test on day 5 (optional), if negative can come out of quarantine
• Take a PCR test on day 8
• Restrictions as they are now with pre-booked hotel quarantine
The test involves taking a swab of the throat and nose. The test will confirm if an individual currently has the virus. It will not confirm whether they have had it and have now recovered.
If you're travelling abroad you currently need to pay for a PCR test privately and are advised not to get a free test from the NHS.
On the NHS website there is a list of private providers of the PCR test who meet the requirements and guidelines. See this list here. The cost with each provider varies but most seem to be between £120-£200.
The UK government is looking at providing pre-departure tests. They are also reportedly working on finding alternative providers for the PRC tests to bring the price down before 17th May. In the press there is talk of these cheaper tests being around the £70-£75 mark.
Some scenarios that are worth thinking through:
-Guests test positive and can’t travel to the wedding – how can you overcome this? Plan to travel with VIPs earlier to ensure there is time for 10 day quarantine if someone tested positive.
-Guests test positive on return home and then have to quarantine for 10 days.
-Suppliers test positive and can’t travel to the wedding – get local back ups in place?
Inform all your guests of the facts. Maybe via an email or a Q&A on your website. Let them know the scenarios, where to get tests, what they cost and ask for their honest feedback on whether they can take the risk. From here you’ll know whether you can go ahead, perhaps with a smaller wedding than originally planned if that’s an option for you. Or you’ve hit your non-negotiables and cancellation / reschedule is the only option.
When booking flights you can at least be safe in the knowledge that airlines are offering refundable travel if cancelled and this is government backed.
Thanks to a strict lockdown over the past few weeks, cases are falling in Italy with close to 10,000 reported yesterday down from 25,000 a day 3 weeks ago. Some regions are already coming out of the red and into amber, meaning some shops can open but people can’t travel far.
The Global Task Force is set to review measures in place, including the need for testing and quarantine for UK travellers. Two key dates have been specified for when this framework for safe international travel will be reviewed. These dates are 28th June and 31st July.
Looking for some more support and guidance? Join our live Covid Q&A on Zoom this Saturday (17th April) at 11am BST (UK time). La Lista’s expert members will be there to answer any questions you have. Click here to sign up and get the Zoom details straight to your inbox.
For all the dates you need to be aware of check out our recent article here which gives a clear roadmap.
We hope that our breakdown of the current situation will help in some small way to make you feel a smidge more in control and zen like.
If you’re planning a wedding this year, there’s more support available from La Lista. Join our couples Facebook group - you’ll be kept up to date with any covid-wedding news and speak to likeminded couples.
Click here to see all our covid related articles.
Written by Lucy White, Founder of La Lista & Wiskow & White, with over 5 years and 150 weddings worth of experience.
