Caller highlights stark difference in testing regime between Faroe Islands and UK
16 September 2020, 12:16
Elisa has recently returned to the UK from the Faroe Islands during a call with LBC she highlighted the stark difference in the testing regime between the two countries.
She told James O'Brien when she arrived in the country she had a test at the airport, revealing travellers are unable to leave the airport until they have been tested.
Elisa told James that she then got another test at a local hospital on her sixth day in the country.
She said this was to ensure travellers were not infected with coronavirus after they had arrived in the country.
When James asked how far she had to travel for that test, the caller said it was about a ten-minute drive, but she did say there could be an hour wait.
However, she revealed the results would be delivered "the same night."
"At the airport, do you get your results before you leave the airport?" James asked.
In stark contrast to the UK, the caller said you are asked to go to wherever you are staying and remain there until you get your test results.
The UK does not have compulsory coronavirus testing on arrival in the country, despite the travel industry pushing for the move.
Comparing her experience in the Faroe Islands to when she returned to the UK Elisa said she was "almost embarrassed" to tell her tale.
She said she spent "absolute hours on the Government website trying to to get a test" adding once she managed to get an appointment it was a "70-mile round trip."
This led to her describing a tale of woe, after driving with ill children to the testing site, she was then turned around because her appointment was not confirmed "due to the website not working."
She said in the large test site which she had been sent to, there seemed to be no actual testing taking place, just security guards sending people away.
James said the caller had "painted a perfect picture, it's not a pretty picture and I'd rather the contrast hadn't been so stark."
When asked if she could make any sense of the situation, Elisa admitted she was baffled by the whole thing.
Watch the whole insightful exchange in the video at the top of the page.
