Third Covid Wave Could Ground UK Flights and Force Lockdown
The UK faces a grim prospect: a third wave of Covid-19 could slam the brakes on international air travel and drag the country into another crippling lockdown.
Salutaris People Calls for ‘Gold-Standard’ PCR Testing
Salutaris People, a leading UK private Covid-19 testing provider, warns that only rigorous PCR testing can safely restart flights. The firm demands all passengers undergo a “gold-standard” PCR test before flying. Alongside this, they push for mandatory face masks and health passports showing test and vaccine status.
“Using cheaper lateral flow tests instead of PCR is downright reckless,” said Ben Paglia, MD of Akea Life, Salutaris People’s clinical partner. “One false negative on a plane risks hundreds of lives.” He blasted the government’s plan to let passengers self-administer lateral flow tests, calling it a “dangerous precedent” that risks accuracy and creates false reassurance.
Fast-Track PCR Testing at Liverpool John Lennon Airport
Salutaris People leads the UK’s first rapid PCR test facility at Liverpool John Lennon Airport, offering results under three hours—far quicker than the usual 48-hour turnaround. The service provides Fit to Fly and Test to Release certificates and is teamed up with Test Assurance Group (TAG).
By month’s end, Salutaris will operate five clinics including Wilmslow, Newcastle, Stockton-On-Tees, and Sunderland, serving major northern airports like Manchester, Newcastle International, and Teesside International. The group is on the government’s approved list of Covid test providers.
Health Passports and Safe Travel Are The Future
Salutaris insists digital health passports are key to future travel safety. The company works with multiple tech providers like V-Health Passport, Tento, Common Pass, and IATA’s Travel Pass, aiming for seamless, secure authentication of Covid status.
Ben Paglia said:
“PCR testing protocols must continue for inbound and outbound passengers. Uploading negative PCR results into health passports is the only sensible way to safely reopen flights.”
Salutaris People and Akea Life also offer a unique Concierge Service, sending healthcare pros to homes, hotels, or offices to administer PCR tests with rapid couriered lab results in 1-3 hours.
In Their Own Words: Salutaris Speaks Out
Ross Tomkins, MD of Salutaris People, added:
“A Covid outbreak would not just ground air travel but wreck the economy and drag us into another lockdown. Lateral flow tests can help in the cycle, but never at the cost of letting infectious travellers board planes. Air travel was a major driver in the early virus spread. We must stay vigilant.”
