UK: Chaotic start for travellers' Covid testing system

Test to Release, a new system meant to cut quarantine times for travellers arriving in England, has been beset with problems on its first day. Travellers are allowed to end self-isolation early if they pay for a coronavirus test and get a negative result five days after arriving. The government picked 11 firms to carry out the private tests. But some of the largest Covid test providers were not included and many on the list have hit problems. Airlines UK, the trade body for airlines, admitted there had been "teething problems", but said these would be resolved. "Today is only the start - the end goal is the removal of quarantine altogether - but it's a positive beginning to what we hope will be the recovery of our sector," the group said. When the scheme launched on Tuesday morning, some test providers were overwhelmed with the sheer volume of demand from the public. One supplier has pulled out completely. Another approved provider, Axiom, said it couldn't take bookings but an update would be available "soon", while another, Medicspot, told visitors to its website to register their interest.<br/>