Over the decades, the travel and tourism industry experienced growth, witnessing a 59% growth in international tourists’ arrivals from 880 million in 2009 to 1.5 billion in 2019. However, the solid historical progress of the sector halted in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and many countries have implemented lockdowns, quarantines, and travel restrictions to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
Though some countries still implement lockdown and quarantine protocols and continue to monitor COVID-19 cases count, a year on after the World Health Organization announced a pandemic, other countries are beginning to ease up on their travel restrictions and opening their borders.
But, of course, while they are reopening their borders for international travel, countries are implementing stringent protocols, requiring travellers to quarantine for 10-14 days, but this depends on the country’s quarantine protocols. They are also necessitating additional travel requirements from travellers. Such requirements include taking a COVID-19 test 72 hours before departure and presenting a negative result upon arrival.
If you need to get a COVID-19 test for travel, you might be wondering where to get one or find a testing provider. You can get COVID-19 testing in various ways: you can have it in airports, drugstores, or hotels.
Many airports offer COVID-19 testing for travellers in a rush to get tested before their departure. You can get the COVID-19 test at the airport, provided that the test satisfies the requirements of your destination country.
You can also visit drugstores to get COVID-19 testing as community pharmacies in England now provide COVID testing to the public. Such private providers are accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) to administer PCR testing.
Various hotels also offer COVID-19 testing to address the growing demand for negative COVID-19 test results for international arrivals. These hotels are teaming up with reputable companies in offering testing packages, and some even have on-site testing facilities and doctors to conduct the testing.
Moreover, you can also opt to test yourself for COVID-19 with a self-test or self-collection kit. These at-home kits are available by prescription or over-the-counter. You can also get them at pharmacies or retail stores or order them online or by phone from reputable providers.
Various companies like Harley Medic International offer COVID-19 testing packages that can help people determine if they contracted the virus or provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test result when travelling. They also offer other at-home testing kits like thyroid test kit, testosterone test UK, and blood test at home, to make available proof of their present health status or conditions.
For more information on where you can get a COVID-19 test for travel, see the infographic by Harley Medic International provided below.
