Close contact outside?

[Mn753]

Anyone know, if you see someone outside then they test positive, do you need to isolate?

It doesn't matter if it's inside or outside, if you have met the criteria below you are a close contact

A contact is a person who has been close to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. You can be a contact any time from 2 days before the person who tested positive developed their symptoms (or, if they did not have any symptoms, from 2 days before the date their positive test was taken), and up to 10 days after, as this is when they can pass the infection on to others. A risk assessment may be undertaken to determine this, but a contact can be:
• anyone who lives in the same household as another person who has COVID-19 symptoms or has tested positive for COVID-19
• anyone who has had any of the following types of contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19:
• face-to-face contact including being coughed on or having a face-to-face conversation within one metre
• been within one metre for one minute or longer without face-to-face contact
• been within 2 metres of someone for more than 15 minutes (either as a one-off contact, or added up together over one day)

www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-for-contacts-of-people-with-possible-or-confirmed-coronavirus-covid-19-infection-who-do-not-live-with-the-person/guidance-for-contacts-of-people-with-possible-or-confirmed-coronavirus-covid-19-infection-who-do-not-live-with-the-person

Let track and trace decide- they'll call you if you need to isolate.
Outside is far lower risk than inside . There is guidance about what constitutes close contact but it's all about being inside breathing in same air.

However if you hugged them for ages, sat in each other's knees or kissed, you'd be silly not to consider that as close contact

Thanks just deciding whether to go out tonight, don't want to end up being a contact and having to isolate!

Depends on the type of contact.

There is a big difference between a quick hello and spending the day together.

If they give your details to test and trace they will contact you if they feel you meet the criteria.

Despite what the person above says, transmission is much less likely out of doors, and another variable is whether or not you are vaccinated.

I would suggest getting lateral flow tests and testing each day for several days - which is what is going to be the protocol soon - and monitoring yourself for symptoms.

Of course, if you are contacted by Test and Trace then under current rules you are required to isolate. If you are pinged by the app it is advisory, but not required.

Just to clarify, I haven't been in contact with a positive case, just planning on socialising tonight and want to avoid the possibility!

Will either keep my distance or not go

No, you don’t.

T&T didn’t even want to know who I saw outside. I even told them I’d been for a 3 hour walk with a friend the day before- they weren’t interested

I'd like to think that as the risk is apparently so much lower outside, you'd only be contacted if the person tells test and trace that you hugged/ sat right next to each other etc. Rather than just sat at the other side of a large garden for example! But who knows!

Ok thanks, I'll go!

@Mn753

Just to clarify, I haven't been in contact with a positive case, just planning on socialising tonight and want to avoid the possibility!

The key is to be a social butterfly and not talk to any one person for more than 15 minutes in total. Keep moving!

And warn them not to dob me in to Dido or else