Corona virus Simon Calder and This Morning irresponsible

[Splattherat]

AIBU or have I got this wrong? Having just watched Simon Calder’s travel advice on This Morning to think he was totally irresponsible (even if he was pointing out loop holes with government advice)?

He basically said if someone was on holiday in Spain now they could come home and instead of quarantining at home in Britain they could go over to France and quarantine over there instead!!!

He sees to have been encouraging people to travel throughout this time, which I personally think was irresponsible. Not only from an infection pov but because people are losing money since no one is responsible for compensating them if govt decide to impose quarantine. Travel companies are fighting refunds and the whole industry is unreliable at present. It would have been better to encourage people to stay put this year.

The point is that I’m not sure how many people are going to comply anyway. My friends are in Spain, they said they cannot quarantine when they get back. Who is going to police it?

I like Simon Calder but that does sound pretty irresponsible, yes.

I haven't seen it, but surely you would be breaking the quarantine rules by leaving the house and travelling to France?

Would it not be better to travel home from Spain via France to avoid the need to quarantine in the first place?

This exactly thanks ‘CallmeAngelina

I saw this and agreed with Ruth when she said that she was confused.

Surely, if you come home from Spain, the intent should be that you return to your home asap, mixing with as few people as possible en route. How can it possibly be allowed or acceptable that you turn straight round once you've unpacked/re-packed and get on public transport to travel to another country, where presumably you'll still be mixing with other people??

I saw this and agreed with Ruth when she said that she was confused.

Surely, if you come home from Spain, the intent should be that you return to your home asap, mixing with as few people as possible en route. How can it possibly be allowed or acceptable that you turn straight round once you've unpacked/re-packed and get on public transport to travel to another country, where presumably you'll still be mixing with other people??’

Totally agree with @CallmeAngelina’s comments above. I was tidying up at the time and thought I had misunderstood. Then he muttered something about he wasn’t sure where he was going next but thought he might be going off to Greece next.

I guess if you had driven to Spain for a two week holiday, rather than either coming straight home now or staying for 2 weeks and then quarantining for 2 weeks once home, you could drive back to France today, spend two weeks in France and then by the time you catch the Ferry/Eurostar back it will be nearly two weeks since you left Spain and hence only need to quarantine for a day. If indeed anyone even asks whether you have been to Spain in the last two weeks. We are staying in UK anyway as the uncertainty of whether different French departments would shut down seemed too risky.

I think that for anyone who is able to work from home, it will make little difference, as any trip out as long as a shop is nearby will be to get food, and there are not the police to enforce it. The only people who will ever be questioned will be those who are reported by neighbours or others they have fallen out with.

The changes could and should have been announced on Friday afternoon/evening, as the increase in Spanish infections was known earlier in the week.

Notable how no senior government minister does interviews today, just send out a junior non-transport or FCO minister, and of course a woman as Mr Johnson only ever gives women the bad jobs in government.

Yes that mentality Afternoon11.

Surely quarantining for 14 days means exactly that? Staying in your own home (you can work from home if you can) and not risking any further infections in the community so this would include not going out for food.

But with this attitude why bother sod the shop workers and anyone else you may come into contact with en route as long as people adapt and interpret the guidance to do whatever they fancy.

www.entertainmentdaily.co.uk/tv/simon-calder-suggests-on-this-morning-viewers-cheat-spain-quarantine-rules/

Came to say exactly the same as boon. At the start of the pandemic Simon Calder was on bbc breakfast recommending that it was a great time to take a holiday - lost my respect for him from that point.

If they were holidaying in Spain but travelled to France and then flew home from there they wouldn’t need to quarantine at all. There’s always break downs in rules.

It just beggars belief doesn’t it.

Really peed off with so many people flaunting or ignoring the guidance or adapting it to suit themselves.

Officially if you go via France quarantine starts when you cross the border but you still need to declare you came from Spain if less than 14 days since.. However France may well close the border to tourist traffic.

Actually our numbers are so much worse and a lot of the continent have had compulsory masks and hand washing for months now. Spain is pretty much confined to the northern areas. The algarve have had 15 deaths and remain off the air bridge. We should have stopped all visitors back in March to be honest! It’s all far too late now.

If they were holidaying in Spain but travelled to France and then flew home from there they wouldn’t need to quarantine at all.

That's not correct...From the gov.uk guidance on isolation:

" If you travel from an exempt country but have been in a country that is not exempt within the last 14 days, you will need to self-isolate for the remainder of the 14 days since you were last in a non-exempt country."

So (assuming current circumstances continue) if you left Spain, spent two days in France and then came back to the UK the rules state you should quarantine for 12 days..

www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-how-to-self-isolate-when-you-travel-to-the-uk/coronavirus-covid-19-how-to-self-isolate-when-you-travel-to-the-uk

Ah I did not know that! Well that stops it then, thank you.

Well if it doesnt break the rules in france or here what is irresponsible?

Blimey, what is it with this fetish for rules. Things can be irresponsible even if it's not breaking a rule. The current rules are mostly about getting the economy going, not protecting the people around us. Just don't do something which puts others at risk. It's the responsible thing to do.

I dunno... if someone was in Spain now, went to Nigeria for 2 yrs, then came back to UK would you say they still need to quarantine for 2 weeks upon return? I mean, don't blame the messenger if Calder has figured out a nicer way to endure the quarantine, so be it.

I think what is being queried is if you fly back to the U.K. you have to quarantine (from required countries), straight from landing. Surely you cannot decide to go on a flight the next day and quarantine in France. Maybe go from, for example, Spain to France and quarantine there for the 2 weeks, then fly home but you cannot fly home and then fly back out again.

I think what is being queried is if you fly back to the U.K. you have to quarantine (from required countries), straight from landing. Surely you cannot decide to go on a flight the next day and quarantine in France.

From the Uk gov site:

"If you’re travelling to the UK for less than 14 days, you will be expected to self-isolate for the length of your stay."

There's no minimum stay specified..you do not have to serve out time (the 14 days) in the UK before onward travel.

I'm not recommending a "dodge".

What gets my goat is quarantine means quarantine not well I’ll just do this and just do the other because I am more important than a little old lady with COPD, someone who works in a shops dad who is just had chemo or a child with an underlying health condition who you bump into as the shielding are just starting to go out etc. Simon Calder was encouraging irresponsibility with his attitude and encouraging people to bend the rules to suit themselves a lot like Dominic Cummings.

He was like this at the beginning of the pandemic as well, encouraging people to go ahead with their ski trips to Northern Italy when it was blindingly obvious that cases were being imported from there. He doesn't give two hoots about the health consequences of his dangerous 'advice'.

Simon Calder was encouraging irresponsibility with his attitude and encouraging people to bend the rules

I didn't hear the interview but if all he was suggesting:

1. Arrive in U.K. from Spain (e.g. by air)

2 Go directly from airport to place of isolation.

1. Repack bag at place of isolation.
2. Go directly back to airport and fly to France.

Then to be fair to him that's completely in accordance with HMG rules.

It would also permissible to arrive at a UK airport on a flight inbound from Spain and switch directly to a flight outbound to France without leaving the airport.

@Sakura7 yes I remember his awful “advice” at the beginning of the pandemic as well. He just always comes across as an idiot to me. I wish BBC would ditch him and get someone more sensible.

He’s Lorraine again seems to be backtracking and saying if you come back from Spain now and have to quarantine at home then it’s no walking the dog or anything.