Bloody Borris!

[NotTheBaby]

Due to go on holiday on Monday. Announcements made tonight but travel agents not open tomorrow. No idea when the new rules start, government website still says the old rules. I’ve got Lateral Flow tests already but now they’re a complete waste of money and I have to spend hundreds of pounds (which I don’t have spare!) buying PCR tests to replace them. I know we have to protect the country, and I know it’s my own fault for travelling during a pandemic, but I wish they’d decide what they’re doing and then announce it with all the details rather than this stressful drip feed 😭

[Rafting2022]

Apparently Sajid will be clarifying the rules this morning.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-59449480

I’m travelling tomorrow and have no issue with the changes, I just can’t understand why they couldn’t have given dates for when they’ll come into effect in the same announcement.

[Matildatoldsuchdreadfullies]

When people criticise Johnson for this sort of thing - and, let’s face it, he’s simply the spokesperson here - it means that very real criticisms of his actions/behaviour are diluted.

[sazzy5]

It’s sad but the risk you take when booking a holiday now. We lost a big deposit back in 2020, and would love to have a holiday but won’t take the risk again.
It’s a rubbish situation.

[FingonTheValiant]

I got our pcr tests for £28 each. Arrived in uk a day before the rules changed in October. It shouldn’t cost anything like £300.

[Snailhaterz2]

it would be helpful if they changed all the online guidance at the same time as making these announcements, though. I'm in Europe, due back Tuesday, so should be filling in my passenger locator form today, but if I do so at the moment it asks you to fill in the details of the pre-ordered lateral flow test which I've got waiting at home for me, rather than the PCR test I now (probably) have to take.

[EngTech]

The Government got moaned at last time they did not impose restrictions early enough

The listened this time and acted quickly, people moaned

No win situation but given the choice of a bit of inconvenience or ending up in hospital and possibly not coming out, I will take the inconvenience

Will await incoming 😳

[Sleepyteach]

@Dogmum40 I’m also in derby and have used randox at the airport a couple of times. Just had a look on their website and their PCRs are £35 with results by midnight the next day. They were doing 3 and 12 hour ones in the summer as well - I think we paid about £65 for the 12 hour one although they aren’t showing this as a day 2 option at the moment I imagine they might be shortly.

[Tubsen]

Simon Calder just said that PCR tests were £119 each on the BBC.

[mogsrus]

Love the line, "I wish they knew what they are doing" regarding the government, followed by 'I know it's my own fault for travelling' you chose to do something at a precarious time,when the world at the moment is in limbo. Limbo,a journey of unknowable outcome.

[clarepetal]

I get it OP, I'd be pissed off too.

[Tubsen]

He is in Orlando if that makes a difference

[EasterIssland]

I’ve bought pcrS in THE PASt. 55 and 40(nwp). They shouldn’t cost hundreds.

[WiseUpJanetWeiss]

@FingonTheValiant

I got our pcr tests for £28 each. Arrived in uk a day before the rules changed in October. It shouldn’t cost anything like £300.

At the moment all the sites are showing considerably higher costs than this - presumably because hardly anyone was needing a day 2 only PCR following the relaxation in October. I expect this will sort itself out in the next few days but at the moment I’m looking at £55 for a drive through. We land at midnight on a Friday, and this is the only way we’re going to get the results back quickly enough to minimise the self isolation.

[Theredjellybean]

I've just booked them with dam health.. £89 for an adult and child package. Guaranteed results by midnight the day of test.
We are away and come back on 23rd so don't want to isolate for more than that day.

[Tubsen]

I suppose they will whack the prices up, supply and demand and all that.

[Theredjellybean]

Just looked at eurofins site.. Pcr with 12 hr return of results is £39.50

[Peregrina]

I don't know why people are making excuses for Johnson - given his own history of shaking hands with everyone, then catching the virus himself, but even now, trying to get away with not wearing a mask in a hospital (and then pretending it was a mistake for a few moments.) Or going to the theatre and not wearing a mask.

What we can be almost sure of is that one of his chums will break the rules and there will be 10,000 excuses as to why it was necessary for him, but is not necessary for the plebs like us.

[WiseUpJanetWeiss]

[quote NotTheBaby]@Thewiseoneincognito did you read my posts? It’s from last year that rolled over. I have money for the holiday, just not an extra £300+ to spend on PCR tests two days before I fly, that I might not actually need because no one has any information about when the new rules start 🤦🏼‍♀️[/quote]
You don’t need to buy the PCR tests yet though, do you.

We’re (hopefully) flying to Portugal on Friday (fully vaccinated). As it stands today I am going to buy the outward self-test LFTs on Tuesday to be delivered on Wednesday (via 24 hour courier). This is in case Portugal changes its rules again and wants PCRs.

I’ve identified a drive through test centre quite near me that I can book while we’re in Portugal, so we have the code for when we fill in our UK PLF before we come home. I’m delaying buying these in case the prices drop/options increase now there will be greater demand.

The drive through centre is also my backstop for a last minute PCR test.

My backstop backstop is for us not to go at all. We’ll decide on Tuesday I think unless it gets decided for us.

It sucks, and the incomplete information sucks, but I don’t think we can blame Johnson for that. The details are clearly still being worked out, but he’d have been lambasted of he hadn’t mentioned it and then Javid threw a curved ball today.

Don’t get me wrong, Johnson is the worst and least competent PM in my lifetime and he’s an international embarrassment, but Omicron and the swift response is not on him.

[WiseUpJanetWeiss]

@Theredjellybean

Just looked at eurofins site.. Pcr with 12 hr return of results is £39.50

Unfortunately that’s a Monday to Friday service so no good for us unless they re-open the Warrington drive through site.

[Peregrina]

But here's a Senior official who doesn't think that Johnson, or Boris as his fans call him, has done enough.

But we've had enough of experts, haven't we?

[rrhuth]

Johnson has again gambled by running the UK with ongoing high hospitalisations and deaths, so we are in a crap starting point.

No one blames Johnson for the virus, many blame him for his poor decisions.

[rrhuth]

And on Omicron - he is doing the bare minimum he can get away with.

[Tubsen]

I always call him Boris, even more so now I know how much it riles some on here.

[NotTheBaby]

Thanks to everyone who’s been helpful!

To those who say I shouldn’t complain because the virus changes- I know! I’ve said this! My issue is that the rules have changed with one sentence and no clarification clarification on what it actually means. I fly tomorrow (maybe!) but still don’t know what the rules are because they’ve made the announcement and not changed the website or given more details
To those saying I shouldn’t be calling him Boris (or Borris 🤦🏼‍♀️) it’s the nicest thing I can think of calling him so tough!
To everyone who keeps saying the PCR tests are cheap or adults only. They were requiring tests for 5year olds and up (again no clarification!) so all four of us have to have them. They’ve also got ridiculously expensive after the announcement so they’re £60+ each now

[Fairylights25]

And on Omicron - he is doing the bare minimum he can get away with

Of course he bloody he! We ARE trying to keep the country afloat, the industries working and the economy. Why on earth would you go overboard on restrictions at this point, when the variant may turn out to be okay? Why would you cause utter chaos and damage for a 'maybe'.
Seriously people calling for instant lockdowns and tight restrictions need to think about the consequences with some kind of clarity.

Boris has got this spot on, tightened travel, a few restrictions not too many to damage the essential Christmas trade - and we will ALL hope for the best (well some us will, obv not all of us reading this thread)