Melbourne family stranded at airport after Covid test bungle

Mark Donnelly, his husband Robert, and their two adopted children Mitchell and Caleb, left Melbourne on Wednesday and arrived in Singapore on the same day.They were due to get a connecting British Airways flight to London on Thursday to spend Christmas with family.But the family of four were instead left alone in the transit lounge at Singapore’s Changi airport for more than two days, unable to leave the lounge, and forced to sleep on the floor, because their rapid antigen test – which is a condition of entry to both Singapore and London – was not done by a trained professional.The family provided picture proof of their negative result – and the rapid test itself – at both Melbourne and Singapore.According to the UK government website, a negative test is all that’s required to enter the country.But the Singapore government blocked them in transit because the “self swab” was not carried out by a professional. After days of mixed messaging from relevant authorities, the family were eventually refused official entry to the UK, with the British embassy only confirming late on Christmas Eve that the group couldn’t board with the Covid tests provided.Mr Donnelly had purchased new rapid tests in Singapore and pleaded to get PCR tests for family, but it’s claimed Singaporean officials were unwilling to help or let them exit the lounge.“Apparently we are being called inadmissable travellers as far as Singapore authorities are concerned,” he told the Herald Sun.“We are essentially illegal here and they told us they want us off the soil as soon as possible.”A letter from the British embassy to Mr Donnelly, seen by the Herald Sun, read: “BA (British Airways) have checked with Border Force in the UK and they have confirmed the tests need to be carried out professionally with full details of passengers including passport numbers and date taken. I am very sorry for this and understand it is not the outcome you were hoping for. I understand that you will need to return to Melbourne.”The stress and uncertainty of the incident made Robert’s MS flare up, while Mitchell, who has autism, did not cope throughout the ordeal.Mr Donnelly said he was determined to see his unwell mother in London, as well as his last-surviving grandparent. The visit was prompted after Robert lost both of his grandparents this year.The family were eventually put on a Jetstar flight home to Melbourne in the early hours of Christmas morning, having lost more than $23,000 in flights, accommodation and transport.“We’re just distraught,” he said. A Jetstar spokeswoman said: “The customers provided evidence of a negative rapid antigen test however transit in Singapore requires that test to be administered by a trained professional, video of self swabs are not permitted. “We appreciate this is an extremely difficult situation and our team is doing everything we can to assist them.”A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesman confirmed consular assistance was provided to an Australian family in Singapore.“Owing to our privacy obligations we will not provide further comment,” he said.Mr Donnelly said he had felt betrayed by the authorities’ “really weak response”.“We had zero support from Jetstar or British Airways. Any support we did have were from independent ground staff. No one from the airlines officially spoke to us,” he said.“The entire experience we were made to feel like we were in the wrong. We had to solve problems ourselves and were left to roam around the airport.”Mr Donnelly said returning to Melbourne without a Covid test, after having been in the airport for 50 hours, was “surely a risk to people on the plane”.