Quarantine rules.... I want to scream. This government makes nonsensical rules and yet we can do nothing about it

[CautiousOptimist11]

Ok, please read this thread for what it is... disbelief at the draconian measures under which we are all living THAT MAKE NO SENSE. It is infuriating and upsetting that our lives are so easily manipulated with no means of questioning it. What on earth has happened??

Take away the thought that we all have to put up with difficult things, we have all been through a difficult year etc, some people have lost everything. I get ot, its awful and we must all do our part to help. This is not my point. My point is that it would appear, we have gone down a slippery slope where the government can do pretty much whatever they want.

So my family and I are in quarantine at home after coming home to the UK from a non red list country. Not a holiday.

Let's say we support the quarantine EVEN ALTHOUGH there are so many holes in the system, it starts to lose its sense. The hauliers, flight crew etc - people coming in daily with no quarantine. The fact that you stand with other people from other flights for hours at passport control. That you can technically take public transport home to start your quarantine. That you can go to a test centre for your day 2 and 8 tests, on public transport. That you have to pay £200 for day 4 and 8 tests DESPITE STILL BEING IN QUARANTINE ANYWAY! (And testing before entering UK).

I feel like I have been treated like a criminal. The police came to the door to make sure we were in a couple of days ago, and their attitude was awful. Like we were criminals on house arrest.

But here is the main part of my complaint, the thing that highlights how utterly ridiculous the system is, yet nobody can or does question it.

You have the option test test to release on day 5. Extra money and inconvenience. But if negative, you can leave straight away.

If you don't pay for this extra day 5 test then, after your day 8 test (negative here), you must still wait til MIDNIGHT ON DAY 10 before you can leave the house. Why? Why are you safer after day 5 than day 8? Why not just test everyone on day 8?

I am sitting here on day 10, wondering if the police will come shouting at my door again, also wondering what kind of country I have come back to.

It's so sad

Think my name says it all - none of it makes sense but I think what they’re trying to do is limit contact/mixing where they can. It has to be amongst still allowing the country to function. I’ve not been to supermarkets much in populated areas as we have a supermarket in our village that I can predict the quiet periods. I had to go out of town to another supermarket for some products and I was so overwhelmed by how busy it was! No car parking spaces - toddlers walking around - groups of teenagers - entire families shopping. I felt like I had come to an alternative universe to my village. The hope for the government is to restrict movement of those they can restrict (ie you) to slow down the chance of any variants - especially from abroad.

Do you favour people just flying all over the world and hoping for the best?

You’ve only just got here? You need to prepare yourself for more batshit rules when you enter the outside world!

There are huge parts of recent government policy which make zero sense.
But that's the blunt instrument of government policy, unfortunately

Lowest common denominator rules to make it easy for the stupidest of public and police to understand

Personally, I think airport quarantine would have been better for all. If you don't like it don't travel. Last year people were saying why can't we be like New Zealand - well they're an island in the middle of nowhere so it's easier, no we're doing it people are complaining too. I'm very happy to pull up the drawbridge for the foreseeable future. If you want to go overseas you can stick to the regulations.

I'm not saying I am against quarantine.

I'm saying that the rules they have created are contradictory and make no sense.

Why could I leave house after day 5 test, but have to stay for another 48 hours after the day 8 test?

The "don't like it don't travel" people have absolutely zero understanding of what I am saying, and are most likely the kind of people who let the government erode their civil liberties- unjustifiably - without question

You need to calm down. Your anger is misplaced.

You were aware (or should have been aware) of all these rules when you made your travel
decisions.

Deep breath. And think of those who can’t take a deep breath right now due to coronavirus.

YANBU OP, but a lot of people can’t see past the word “overseas travel” to the rest of your post before furiously attacking their keyboards!

The test and release thing is so weird. As is the day 2 test if you have to test on day 8.

@CautiousOptimist11

The "don't like it don't travel" people have absolutely zero understanding of what I am saying, and are most likely the kind of people who let the government erode their civil liberties- unjustifiably - without question

Translation: everyone who doesn't agree I'm 100 % reasonable to get so worked up is a supine sheep. Yeah, we get it. Yawn

Airline staff have to fly, it's literally their job. Like my husband can't come to hospital appointments but the nurse can, it's not double standards, it's allowing someone to do their job.

Allowing people to take public transport is an allowance they have to make, the alternative is what? People walking home from the airport?

The tests should be done in your home, if that's not possible, and you can only.use public transport then that's what you have to do.

If you do the day 5 test you still have to do the day 8 test.

I think you're just pissed off that you have to quarantine despite knowing that when you chose to fly somewhere.

Out of curiosity. What would your rules be?

Yes. If you’ve got spare cash you can test early to release on day 5. Otherwise wait until day 8 for test and they let you out on day 29. Makes no fucking sense whatsoever but nothing about this has made sense. Just the usual loophole that can be used by those with the means. (See also business travel last year, second home visits whenever, etc)

As mentioned previously, the words ‘foreign travel’ will set off the rabid lock everything up and don’t let anyone in or out brigade. (Except the lorry drivers with their frozen pizzas - they can travel in and out at will so no shortage of pizzas please)

I thought the point of day 2 tests was so they could early contact trace people from your flight if you tested positive?

Let's say we support the quarantine EVEN ALTHOUGH there are so many holes in the system, it starts to lose its sense. The hauliers, flight crew etc - people coming in daily with no quarantine.

You need to think of Cost v Benefit to the UK of quarantine.

General public entering the Uk going into quarantine - sticking them into quarantine- hotel or self isolation? Possibly not a lot of cost, potentially lots of benefit to the UK in terms of the pandemic.

OTOH if you quarantine logistics workers such hauliers and flight crew (often as not these days bringing cargo such as medical supplies into the UK) for X days every time they enter the UK the equation changes - potentially lots of cost because you'll pretty soon run out of people to do the logistics tasks - they'll all be locked up in hotels, and you'll potentially end up short of food, loo roll, PPE, pharamaceuticals, etc.

FWIW I'm hearing rumours airline crew are about to be put on a more rigorous testing routine than the public, so hopefully that'll help address some of your concerns on that specific point.

Think it's all OTT and fucking ridiculous if you've been vaccinated twice but people seem to love it and really enjoy punishing people for daring not to stay in cold, dreary, wet Britain.

How long have you been away for?

Allowing people to take public transport is an allowance they have to make, the alternative is what? People walking home from the airport?
In South Korea they have special quarantine taxis...

That doesn’t negate the fact that the rules quoted don’t make sense. Why is there an option to test and release at 5 days when symptoms can take up to 14 days to show? My mum and sisters contracted Covid after one sister brought it home from work - it was 8 days from contact with the work colleague who was infected before symptoms began for any of them.

@StarCat2020

I thought the point of day 2 tests was so they could early contact trace people from your flight if you tested positive?

That would make sense, but they have tje same requirement for the channel tunnel where you don’t leave your car.

The test and release thing is a joke. If you can pay you can leave quarantine early basically. It makes a mockery of the whole point of quarantine being there to catch the infections that didn’t show up on a test.

With regard to my above comment with regard to increased testing for those essential workers who may be exempt from quarantine:

www.gov.uk/government/news/bespoke-testing-regime-unveiled-for-exempt-international-arrivals

I agree with you OP, the quarantine rules are a bit ridiculous.

If we truly want people to be quarantined on entry to the UK, then we should do what we were doing in February and March last year, ie escorting arrivals off the planes and into specially designated buses and taking them directly to the place of quarantine.

Allowing people to use public transport during a quarantine period is madness!

Seems very confusing. Why does paying for test on day 5 mean you be released from quarantine earlier. Is it a better test than the one on day 8?

I got the impression from the OP that they had returned to the UK after a lengthy spell outside the UK , possibly started before the pandemic?

If so, the rather pissy remarks about knowing the score before she traveled are rather unfair.

Even if she left the UK after the pandemic started, she states the travel was not for a holiday so must assume it was for one of the limited permitted reasons so was definitely not a jolly. Please stop the blame game.

For what its worth, OP, I agree that setting illogical rules does not help as it encourages people to ignore all the rules even the ones that make sense. We should therefore be calling out anomalies like this and government should address them.

And why don't they test on day 10 then you're released once you get the result. I think I need a flow chart.