Public Covid screening facility opens

The first public Covid screening centre at in airport in Scotland has opened at Edinburgh Airport with people able to receive fast and accurate PCR swab tests.

The ExpressTest site will be located in front of the terminal in the FastPark area of the car park and will be available for passengers, staff and the public from Wednesday 25th November.

Passengers and staff at Edinburgh Airport will be charged at a subsidised rate of £80 and £60 respectively, to use the screening service, whilst it will also be available for the general public for £99.

Test results will be emailed or texted to customers typically the next day, with airline passengers advised to schedule a test 48-96 hours prior to their departure time, as a precaution. 

Those who screen negative will be emailed a Fit to Fly certificate that is authorised by a doctor, along with their test result, however passengers are encouraged to check with their travel provider as to whether this document is accepted before booking the screening service. 

The ExpressTest service will be available from today but people in Scotland must continue to follow local restriction guidance, including travel restrictions, as laid out by the Scottish Government. The ExpressTest service will be an important aspect of the airport’s recovery for when restrictions are lifted.

Gordon Dewar, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Airport said:

“Protecting and mitigating risk to public health and providing reassurance and confidence to people who need and want to travel is incredibly important if aviation and all of the industries that rely on it are to recover. We have acted with ExpressTest to ensure we are in as strong a position as possible to allow aviation as a facilitator industry to drive Scotland’s recovery.

“Until then, people must continue to adhere to local regulations and ensure they understand and follow government guidance to protect themselves and others.”

Nick Markham, Founder of ExpressTest said: 

“It’s hugely exciting to have teamed up with Edinburgh Airport to deliver the first public airport screening service in Scotland.  Our mission at ExpressTest is to provide reassurance to people that they are COVID-free, whether that’s when they are travelling or visiting friends and family. The ambition is for us to have 30 locations up and running across the UK in the next few months, and this landmark facility in Edinburgh is just the start.” 

Background

Information on the Scottish Government’s local regulations and guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-protection-levels/

Bookings open from Wednesday 24th November at 9am, with the first test available on the same day. To book a test, visit www.expresstest.co.uk and select a date and time. Customers will then be sent a QR code which they must bring with them to their appointment, along with their passport.  Payment will be taken during the booking process.  Opening hours are 8am – 8pm and customers are asked to arrive 15 minutes prior to appointments.

ExpressTest (a division of Cignpost Diagnostics Ltd) provides fast, accurate and reliable COVID-19 screening across the UK. Set up by established screening parent company Cignpost Diagnostics, ExpressTest provides gold standard PCR testing, with results emailed or texted to customers typically the next day. Following great success with clients including Netflix, the BBC and the PGA European Tour, the company’s founders Nick Markham, Steve Whatley and Professor Denis Kinane, also the Chief Medical Officer, are now using their expertise to deliver world-class testing to the general public.