COVID-19 Update: New tier system & quarantine rules

What will happen after 2nd December?
While a new, tougher tier system is in place, there is some positive news about quarantine after travel.

The long wait is over! We now know what will happen after 2nd December when the current COVID-19 lockdown is lifted. While a new, tougher tier system is in place, there is some positive news about quarantine after travel.

As we know things can be quite confusing, we wanted to provide you with a breakdown of the new tier system, quarantine updates and some improvements we’ve made to our COVID-19 PCR test.

So, what has changed with the new tier system?

There are still 3 tiers, and today 98% of England will be leaving lockdown and entering into tier 2 or 3. London has been placed into tier 2. Here are the main things to take note if your area is in tier 2:

  • Pubs and restaurants are allowed to open, but only if they serve substantial meals.
  • Previously, closing for pubs and restaurants was set at 10 pm. Now, last call is 10 pm.
  • Wet pubs (serve only beverages) will remain shut.  
  • Households bubbles still apply, and the rule of six must be enforced when outdoors
  • Gyms, cinemas, places of worship and non-essential retail to open once again
  • Children’s team sports to reopen.

You can read more about the new tier system, here.

Quarantine, testing, and travel updates, what’s new?

 Good news! When returning from a high-risk destination, the number of days that you will have to quarantine has been reduced from 14 to five days, if a negative COVID-19 test is provided. This will take effect from 15th December, just in time for holiday travel!

Non-essential travel will also be back to normal in time for your Christmas holidays but many destinations still need a fit to fly certificate and negative COVID-19 laboratory report.

With this in mind, we have boosted the turnaround times on our COVID-19 PCR test:

We now offer two fast result services:

  • Next day Standard – get results by 6 pm the next day – £175
  • Next Day Premium – results by 8 am the next day  – £245

Why choose us for testing?

  • Our service is available 5 days a week, with results processed 7 days a week.
  • We provide a GP or nurse consultation over the phone to discuss the results if you test positive at no additional cost.
  • We guarantee our turnaround times.
  • Our clinic has been operating safely throughout this pandemic.
  • Our team is tested for COVID-19 weekly.

Give us a call today to prebook your test for before and after travel!

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