Government has confirmed the soft launch of the Rapid COVID-19 testing service, based at the Gibraltar International Airport.

The service will provide a rapid test for all travellers using the airport (both arrivals and departures), providing a result within 1 hour. This is a private service commissioned by HMGoG and GHA to assist travellers wanting a quick way of assessing their risk to relatives or fellow passengers.

There is a charge made by the provider of £50 for the test and results will be sent by SMS to the customer. An electronic certificate will also be supplied.

This service uses a rapid antigen test and is therefore not as accurate as the PCR test available at the MidTown drive-through facility. Where a test is positive, local customers will be encouraged to book a more accurate PCR test by calling 111 in order to confirm the positive result. People who wish to fly should therefore test themselves at least 24 if not 48 hours before flying.

It is not intended that the service is used by those entitled to GHA care, as they will continue to have access to the more accurate PCR test for free, and will be called as per standard call-recall rotations. People who are self-isolating should remain at home, and not use the Rapid COVID-19 test facility as it will not reduce their isolation period regardless of the result because the virus can incubate for 10 days.