Covid Isolation Hotel Nightmare

[Suppermumzy]

Stuck in this London Isolation Hotel...food is terrible...if you are lucky to go out for exercise you are hurriedly sent back in as there is always a list waiting to go out and use the outdoor space which can safely have 4 people in at a time..i will add photos of food. Cost for 11 days £2285.

I asked today "Would they stop me if I wanted to leave?" Answer No..but you will be reported as an absconder and may face a £10,000 fine....Surely this is not voluntary nor is it fair...who is monitoring this system..we seam to be a forgotten minority rotting away behind fences..

I am coming back from Africa to bury my 99 year old father who died 1/08....and I couldn't have not gone...I had to see him through....Surely this is not voluntary imprisonment as without the hotel booking reference you are not allowed on your flight at the departure airport...

AIBU to feel aggrieved by the system..when i left England the hotel fee was £1750...when I went to book it had gone up £500....NHS nurse looked after British public throughout the Pandemic but I feel that I am incapacitated to look after my own..including my young kids...

Am still waiting for the PPs who think that OP has been treated humanely by our government to reply…I never normally get involved in controversy but this post and the replies have really shocked me !

As much as that sucks, you went knowing you’d have to quarantine after red country travel. In a pandemic.
I am massively sorry for your loss. I have a cancer stricken mom and cannot travel to her easily (have done so once during pandemic - paid for tests, extra tests, isolated 10 days upon arrival & prior to seeing her). It sucks but that’s the way it is right now.

If I were in one I would order take out food/veg every day and not accept a single bit of this junk food

Most of them don't allow it. I've had both family members and staff had to quarantine when returning from bereavement/emergency visits and the OP's food descriptions are pretty standard.

Its a complete rip off and someone in the middle is doing very nicely out of it. The idea that the money is being used to pay for all the security is risible. These places have so few staff that even one outing for 15 mins per day is not always available, the hotels have cameras in the corridors and the "guards" are minimum wage casuals who struggle to meet even the low standards we expect from G4 and others. They apparently lack even the basic "training" to stop them harassing women subject to their control.

See also the companies which appeared from nowhere to do testing for travelers - another overpriced rip off with tests often not even appearing in time (or at all). The office addresses of some of those companies make interesting reading - often home addresses or shared with companies with no connection to health or testing.

@olidora63

Am still waiting for the PPs who think that OP has been treated humanely by our government to reply…I never normally get involved in controversy but this post and the replies have really shocked me !

What do you think is inhumane about it?

the OP did not have to travel, many people have found ways to cope with grief and to remotely support relatives when they've been bereaved sometimes in an attempt to ensure fewer people are bereaved, and sometimes because the price was too high.

The OP is having to endure 11 nights in a safe place with a bed and bathroom, Internet and a TV. And food she doesn't like that looks unappealing, but that's fit for human consumption (and with the option to send out for other food at her own expense). And she's unable to exercise much. For all of 11 days.

If you think that's inhumane you really need to get out in the world more.

How awful OP, this must make mourning so much more complicated as well. ❤

@MauveMagnolia

I don’t agree the price is a rip off, hotel prices have shot back up in the last few weeks. 11 nights at done if the hotels they are using would be more than the fee without the food, transportation and security.

I agree.

It’s just over £200 per night for the hotel, food, security and two covid tests.

[quote PurpleVerbena]@JesusIsAnyNameFree= why on earth would I change my username? Look, the vast majority of people in this country are born and bred 'British' and by that I mean no connection with any other country. Why should we be forced to eat food which has no connection with OUR culture?[/quote]
If you genuinely believe this, I don’t think there is anything I can say to you. I’ll be too brown for you to accept me as British despite me even having British bloodlines on my Indian side that we have traced back to the 1600s. I don’t think I’m any less British because I was born and bred here but also have a very mixed heritage on both sides. I don’t think someone is any less british because they were the first generation of their family born here, on an island that has invaded, colonised and brought back people along with being invaded itself repeatedly through out history. I also think that people who have as narrow view as you are less likely to go abroad so they definitely shouldn’t be the main audience that are catered for in this situation.

There should definitely be more variety though for the op!

It’s not about being “ a rip off”. It’s not a holiday or about getting value for money . It’s a cost for isolating after visiting somewhere you were told was off limits.

The problem is with the standard of food and access to exercise which is clearly sub par regardless of cost.

It's a shame the thread is being derailed with accusation of racism and the fake naivety of what acceptable food should be.

No one has said food allergies should be ignored, but how ridiculous to pretend the main offer should be gluten/lactose/egg free . It's not that hard to offer diet food for people who need them.

Whatever your culture, you can't pretend it's remotely acceptable to give that muck to the OP. Too many people want to punish anyone who has been abroad...

@Lightisnotwhite

It’s not about being “ a rip off”. It’s not a holiday or about getting value for money . It’s a cost for isolating after visiting somewhere you were told was off limits.

The problem is with the standard of food and access to exercise which is clearly sub par regardless of cost.

of course it's a "rip off". If you want to fine them, on top of the quarantine, at least be honest about it and issue a fine. Over-charging and someone filling their pockets that's not acceptable.

Absolute money grabbing shits. Mandatory hotel isolation happens here in NZ and is a similar cost but they are certainly not feeding anyone that absolute garbage 😯 what a disgrace.

This is the crux of it for me. If you're fully vaccinated you can crack on doing whatever even if you live with someone with covid but they are basically imprisoning people with negative tests (who probably have come from countries with a lower covid rate than the UK!!)

Much as I love Indian food, I could not eat it every day. The lunch is awful. Access to fresh fruit and veg should be a standard part of the catering. What an utter rip off these hotels are. I‘m sorry, OP.

If the government think that is a suitable lunch, then schools should not be complaining about packed lunches from home which include jam sandwiches.

It sounds horrible OP.

I'm struggling to understand why it's OK to holiday in certain countries, but then not allow people from other countries in without shitty quarantine. Is there another variant in Africa I'm not aware of? Because the Delta variant is well and truly all around the UK.

So sorry to hear about your dad and the terrible time you’re having.

I guess someone is on the make from these hotels

@isthisareverse

It's a shame the thread is being derailed with accusation of racism and the fake naivety of what acceptable food should be.

No one has said food allergies should be ignored, but how ridiculous to pretend the main offer should be gluten/lactose/egg free . It's not that hard to offer diet food for people who need them.

Whatever your culture, you can't pretend it's remotely acceptable to give that muck to the OP. Too many people want to punish anyone who has been abroad...

Acceptable food... Fucking hell.

Most people aren't sensitive to herbs and spices, onions and tomatoes yet the other racist on the thread seems to think those things should be excluded. No more ridiculous than thinking gluten/egg/dairy should be. But I don't believe I can convince someone like you of that 🤫

It's so sad but not at all surprising how many people find this acceptable. Shame on them. Its daylight robbery courtesy of our corrupt goverment.
My fil worked in dubai in February, he had to self isolate at home for 10 days on his return. They phoned him every day to check he was there. (Fil is not by nature a law abiding citizen but he was under no illusion the threat of a fine was real so he complied). I don't see why this can't be done for circumstances like OPs. Other than tory greed obviously.

isthisareverse
Over-charging and someone filling their pockets that's not acceptable

It is. It’s like centre park charging double or triple the price in school holidays. Who is to say what’s fair or not.
GOV.U.K. Says : You should not travel to red list counties.
End of.

So if you chose to travel ( which is an option still available to you) why would you expect value for money for isolation on return? I think you should expect decent food ( fresh) and sone exercise but value for money? No it’s not an exercise in making people happy when they were asked not to go, just isolating them.

If the government think that is a suitable lunch, then schools should not be complaining about packed lunches from home which include jam sandwiches

How have you managed to put those two things together? Bizarre

I genuinely cannot believe how racist this thread is.

It’s absolutely disgraceful and a huge shame on our country
While elites have zoomed in and out for whatever flimsy excuse

I am so territory for your loss and your intolerable situation
There is a fb group
Hotel quarantine support group

I haven’t read the whole thread so a few kind people might have mentioned it.

And I don’t mean peopke should be miserable. It’s 11 days of sucking up isolation. Which should mean decent food and exercise included.
Cost is not the issue. Nor is value for money.
People shouldn’t be buying their way into and back from off limit counteries..

Op sorry for your loss and your current experience which looks awful.

Re trusting people to quarantine, that’s absolutely what the government allows for, when people travel from an amber list country.

Surely for £2000 per person there's technology that can be used to much better effect instead, if the real motivation is actually ensuring quarantine. In Dubai they have GPS wristbands that you wear at home for the isolation period.

Can’t quote on a quote, but NumberTheory, aren’t you delightful?
Some really horrible people on this thread tonight!
Sorry for your loss OP, and this situation is just making things so much worse!