Covid-19 testing at airports in the UK could be piloted within three weeks says Stormont’s Chief Scientific Adviser Professor Ian Young.
This could be one way to reduce quarantine times for travellers from overseas and allow holidaymakers that much-longed for worry-free sunshine getaway.
Professor Young said: “While there has been significant public interest in a test at the airport being negative… that is simply not a safe approach.
“If the individual has become infected in the two or three days before returning to Northern Ireland then they could be carrying the virus but would test negative at the airport and would be provided with false reassurance and could go on to spread significantly.
“We have had ongoing discussions… about a pilot of airport testing of incoming travellers to estimate the infection.”
He said he hoped an initiative would begin within the next three or four weeks but the issue was being led by UK-wide authorities.
