Leading British clinic opens 'fit-to-fly' Covid-testing centre on Costa del Sol

GETTING a Covid test approved for cross-border travel has now become easier for residents on and visitors to the Costa del Sol – a well-known UK-based medical firm has just opened a test centre in Marbella.

Most countries now require sight of a negative Covid test result before allowing travellers from abroad past the border – in fact, airlines are now typically asking to see it at check-in and at the boarding gates, blocking passengers without one from even going through to departures.

Earlier this month, over 100 passengers bound for Italy from the UK's London Stansted airport were grounded when, at check-in, they were found not to have taken a Covid test, erroneously believing that as either residents in Italy or Italian citizens, this was not required – as a result, they had to be tested at the on-site departures clinic at Stansted airport, one of several in the country including at Heathrow and Manchester, rebook their flights for the following day and find a hotel for the night.

And only 'official' tests are valid for travel, since they need to be accompanied with a 'fit-to-fly' certificate giving the passenger's passport number or national ID card number where they use the latter as identification for their flight.

In both Spain and the UK, as is the case with many European countries, free testing via the national health system is only available to those who have symptoms consistent with Covid or are known to have been in contact with a positive; in some cases, home carers; or for those with jobs that require them to be tested as routine by their firm, such as nursing home staff.

Even then, these free tests are not usually valid for travel as the results do not list the full details needed for border control – also, results may not arrive in time, since tests must be carried out no earlier than 72 hours before arrival in a country, giving less than three days' grace to get the Covid-negative certificate.

DAM Health UK has reassured travellers on this point: According to its health director, Professor Frank Joseph, results will nearly always come through from the Marbella test centre on the same day. 

“We've already received a significant number of bookings from people who want same-day results,” says Professor Joseph.

Changes in different countries' requirements for entry are rapid and go quickly out of date – the UK imposed a 14-day quarantine on visitors from 'non-corridor' countries back in summer, and this was reduced, retroactively, on December 15 to 10 days.

A few days after this, the UK introduced paid-for PCR-testing on arrival for incomers, which, as long as the results were negative, would allow the traveller to shorten the quarantine period to five days, but would not apply to those already quarantining after arrival at the time.

This week, due to a fast-growing incidence of Covid caused by the new strain of the virus, the UK axed all 'corridor' exemptions, meaning every visitor is now subject to the same restrictions, wherever they are travelling from.

At the same time, the UK joined the growing number of nations requesting Covid-negative certificates from everyone entering the country. 

This reassures passengers that everyone on their flight will have tested negative for Covid no longer than 72 hours ago and, assuming they have not taken any risks since their test, should, in theory, pose no risk to others in the check-in and security queues or on board.

However, finding a test centre able to issue approved fit-to-fly certificates and which guarantee the results will be through in time for the flight is not easy in some countries; searching for one near enough to home adds considerable extra stress to the usual pressures of travel.

“Our priority is to provide fast and effective testing facilities to people in Spain and elsewhere in Europe who are struggling to secure rapid test results and 'fit-to-fly' certificates,” says Professor Joseph.

“At home and abroad, we are providing reliable testing and are working hard to reduce the burden on stretched health services across Europe.”

Helpfully for British nationals on the Costa del Sol, who may be visitors to Spain needing to get home, DAM Health is UK-run and its staff will be English-speaking – an asset for tourists who may have difficulty finding a clinic without searching first for an interpreter, increasing stress and costs.

Although European governments are advising against international travel, airlines are still operating for those who need to get to another country for essential or emergency reasons, and to ensure anyone currently abroad can get home to their nation of residence.

This said, statistics published by IATA have shown in the past few months that the incidence of imported cases of Covid account for less than 1% of the total, largely because of the stringent measures travellers from abroad are subject to, and also because, outside the tourism season, the pandemic means people are less likely to fly abroad purely for leisure reasons.