The Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021

Regulation 6

SCHEDULE 5 Qualifying test

1.  A test is a qualifying test if—

(a) it is a test for the detection of coronavirus undertaken using a device which the manufacturer states has—

(i) a sensitivity of at least 80%,

(ii) a specificity of at least 97%, and

(iii) a limit of detection of less than or equal to 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 copies per millilitre,

(b) it is not a test provided or administered under the National Health Service Act 2006, the National Health Service (Wales) Act 2006, the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978 or the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1972, and

(c) the test sample is taken from the person no more than three days before—

(i) in the case of that person travelling to Northern Ireland on a commercial transport service, the service’s scheduled time of departure, or

(ii) in any other case, the actual time of departure of the vehicle, vessel or aircraft on which that person is travelling to the common travel area.

2.  For the purposes of paragraph 1—

“sensitivity”, in relation to a device, means how often the device correctly generates a positive result;

“specificity”, in relation to a device, means how often the device correctly generates a negative device.

3.  Notification of a negative rest result must include, in English, French or Spanish, the following information—

(a) the name of the person from whom the sample was taken,

(b) that person’s date of birth,

(c) the negative result of the test,

(d) the date the test sample was collected or received by the test provider,

(e) the name of the test provider and information sufficient to contact that provider,

(f) a statement—

(i) that the test was a polymerase chain reaction test, or

(ii) of the name of the device that was used for the test.