As booking went live today (27 November) for the new, paid-for quick turn-around coronavirus tests at Gatwick, the airport's warned the website is slowing down with high numbers of visitors.
Airport management said they expect the scheme to offer next-day results from its site in the South Terminal car park.
The tests are aimed mainly at passengers who might need a negative test certificate before travel, but will also offer tests on arrival into the UK.
These could satisfy post-arrival requirements for a possible government "test and release" system to ease travel restrictions and quarantine.
While the airport confirmed the free NHS Test and Trace centre is still operating on the North Terminal's car park, this new service, offered with private partner ExpressTest, has a two-tier pricing system:
- £60 for Gatwick air passengers and on-airport staff
- £99 for the general public.
- A group discount is also offered, with up to 30% off for groups of four or more, for those who are having the full priced test.
The testing site is set to offer what an airport spokesperson called a "fast and accurate laboratory-analysed PCR swab test".
A PCR (polymerase chain reaction), according to scientists at Imperial College London, tests for the presence of the SARS-CoV-19 virus by detecting its genetic material — and therefore can tell if the virus is present within a patient's body.
The first tests are expected to take place on Monday (November 30).
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