Quarantine on arrival to UK

[Alex50]

Wouldn’t it be easier just to test people on arrival? Couldn’t the airline companies just add the test price into to the flight price?

[Toilenstripes]

What if they have it in the early stages that can’t be picked up by a test? A 14 day quarantine is currently the best way to ensure that no one slips through the cracks.

[carlywurly]

You would think. I'd happily pay for a test rather than quarantine.

We seem to struggle massively with anything operational or logistical in the uk. We're always behind other countries. I always wonder if we could use the army more in these situations.

[Alex50]

I don't know how they will
manage it? who will be checking? where will they stay? If staying with family do they all have to quarantine for 14 days?

[StealthPolarBear]

I get why a test is no good.
So I do wonder what tests are good for, other than telling you if you're positive at that very point? Why do people need them?

[Alex50]

@carlywurly so would I, say if you went to Spain for a holiday, wouldn’t it be easier just to test, you would have to make sure you didn’t catch it on holiday though or you couldn’t get home.

[Alex50]

What about an antibody test?

[StealthPolarBear]

Yes agree and antibody test is different as it proves you have had it (although not necessarily immune)
But a test to see if you have it. If that is negative so what? I suppose what it shows is there is no evidence you DO have it, but it does seem fairly pointless as a repeat six hours later might show differently.

[Paranoidmarvin]

I didn’t see today’s conference. Is this everyone. Even if u have been on holiday. It can’t be coming back from holiday as that would take all my holiday for the year. Two weeks away and two weeks staying at home when I got back. That’s insane

[Alex50]

Yep from the government update today

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52774854

[Mtbf]

I think Patel was playing down the holiday aspect and reading between the lines I don’t think holidays are top of the governments to do list currently.

[BritWifeinUSA]

But OK if coming through Ireland. I’ll just fly to Dublin first and then onwards to England. Makes sense....

[JimMaxwellantheshippingforcast]

I think they meant between Northern Ireland and the Republic rather than for flights between

[maresydoats]

BritWifeinUSA

If you are in US, I thought that's what anyone would do, given the preclearance on the way back.

Anyway, Ireland is introducing quarantine too, and I don't know if the exemption between Ireland and UK applies to transit passengers.

[mpsw]

"I always wonder if we could use the army more in these situations"

What would you have them doing?

[PlanDeRaccordement]

It’s laughable. Really. It would make sense if the U.K. had barely been touched by Covid and wanted to keep travellers from nations with high Covid rates from bringing it in. So, yes, quarantine travellers coming from the US.
But to apply to all travelers makes no sense at all. The U.K. is one of the hardest hit countries. You have more risk of catching it and bringing it back to your home on a day trip to London, than by going abroad to another European country.

[maresydoats]

Quarantines work. Get used to it my friends.

I doubt it will last forever, but no travel for me in 2020, and many others feel the same way. Far too much hassle both ends, and potential exposure to virus, not to mention the queues and all that. UGH, I admire those who will travel TBH this year, and good luck to you all.

[Alex50]

I don’t want to travel, i’m quite happy to stay in the UK, just trying to understand how it would work

[maresydoats]

Alex50

Quarantine will work because of the FEAR of a fine if caught, I think!
But I accept there is an issue of enforcement.

Onwards and upwards I suppose. Most people are law abiding.

[GhostofFrankGrimes]

Its 3 months too late. Question the incompetence.

[exexpat]

Most sensible countries brought in 14-day quarantine rules for travellers a couple of months ago, while the UK was allowing people to return from New York, Italy, Spain and other hotspots with no checks or quarantine at all. This is one of the reasons why Taiwan, Hong Kong, Australia, NZ etc have so few cases compared to us.

Frankly, it is now shutting the gate after the horse has bolted, and given that the UK has one of the worst infection/death rates in the world, people coming from many other countries are now less likely to be infected than anyone who has been in the UK all the time.

These are some examples of how it works elsewhere:
Australia www.smartraveller.gov.au/while-youre-away/returning-australia
Taiwan taiwantoday.tw/news.php?unit=2,6,10,15,18&post=173589

[maresydoats]

Ghost,

Perhaps, but now that the R rate is minimal, best to keep any further infections from elsewhere.

I think they (Government and Science etc.) just want herd immunity in UK. Hence opening it up to all and sundry as we have witnessed, but keep everyone else out unless they do the 14 days lock up.

[Alex50]

So what if you have a family member returning from working abroad, they put your family address to quarantine, do all the family have to quarantine for 14 days?

[exexpat]

Sorry, Taiwan link went wrong: taiwantoday.tw/news.php?unit=2,6,10,15,18&post=173589

[maresydoats]

Alex50

there is a window until 8 June, so anyone worried about family and so on might consider getting back before that date.

I don't know about arrivals after that.

[Roselilly36]

Totally agree with @exexpat