How the hell do I get through to my sister?

[Afternooninthepark]

My sister is a cleaner working in people’s homes.
One of her clients had a ‘cold’ for the last two weeks so she hasn’t been in their home during that time. She has just found out that it was in fact Covid-19 and so very sadly, yesterday the gentleman passed away.
My sister last went into their home 16 days ago and seems to believe that she wouldn’t have been exposed to the virus. I’ve tried explaining that it has an incubation period of anything from a few days to 14 or so days so she could easily have been infected and that she must now self isolate (and her partner) for 14 days.
She said she was still planning on cleaning for a few clients next week. I am also concerned that she cleaned for a 90 year old lady I walk a dog for, on Wednesday and has visited our parents (mum has Alzheimer’s and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia which puts her at high risk). I had previously told her I was FaceTiming mum and dad and she should do the same but obviously hasn’t done the same.
I have insisted it is imperative that she distance herself now but she isn’t listening, she and her partner think I’m overreacting.
She was in my house last Thursday, I will now need to self isolate with my children and so will my husband who is still at work as he is a key worker.
I feel I am banging my head against the wall, how the hell do I get through to her??

Well yes, everyone should be distancing at all times. But she doesn’t have to be following any additional measures due to having been in contact with a CV patient 16 days ago. Just the normal social distancing measures we should all be following.

@hoffi
By your standard nothing would be shut!
You only go to work if it’s an essential role/service, cleaning a house is not essential.

You don't self isolate because you came into contact with someone that has/had CV.

What now? If someone you know and spent time with has it, you don’t isolate yourself? It seems pretty stupid not to.

JkScot4.

That is a lie. Please link the laws around what is 'essential work' or not.

Oh that's right, there aren't any.

14 days has been and gone. Shes fine to carry on.

not by my standards at all. DH is a key worker but is working from home as he is able to do so. The guidance says very clearly ‘if you can work from home then do so. If you can’t, then go to work’. I am not a member of the government funnily enough, so these are not my standards.

I personally do not think her job is essential or necessary at this precise moment regardless of the fact she has now passed the 14 day period. I do not regard domestic cleaners as key workers.

I thought we were all supposed to be inside anyway ?? We have been in the house for 10 days now only going out for a walk .

The government haven’t said that only key workers or essential workers should go to work though. They’ve explicitly said that if you can’t work from home, you can go to work, in order to keep the economy going.
You (and I) may not agree with this, but they are the guidelines given.

MintyMabel. No you don't. Unless you want all NHS workers exposed to COVID to fuck off home for a couple of weeks.

How will that go do you think? There is NO guidance saying you self isolate if you came into contact with someone with COVID.

People seem to think current measures are being implemented to prevent anyone from getting it and therefore eradicate it. That's not what will happen nor why the measures are in place. We're trying to reduce transmission to stagger cases.

Cleaners don't have to be keyworkers. What are you not understanding about the actual legislation that has passed?

If you can't work from home, you can go to work. There's no list of what is 'essential' work or not. There's a list of what is a keyworker which is very broad but NOTHING ANYWHERE saying what is or isn't essential work.

You not thinking your sisters work is essential or not is completely irrelevant.

It's not sure that 14 days is the incubation period, it could be as long as 28 days. Also, your sister might be symptomless but passing it on (this is why testing and tracing is so damned important, but you obviously already knew that, @Afternooninthepark). I have no idea what to say except I am fed up with other people's selfish stupidity putting me and my loved ones at risk, by not behaving as if it was dangerous - looking at you, Boris Johnson and Donald Trump.

Yes it can be Jaichangecentfoisdenom. But the 14 days self isolation guidance (if there are symptoms in your household) are based on the fact that the vast majority of people will no longer be contagious after 14 days. Otherwise everyone would have to self isolate for over a month if someone in the household had a cough or high temp.
Irrelevant anyway, as there is no current guidance to say you should self isolate after being in contact with someone who has it. She also is able to continue working under the guidelines. She should however be practising social distancing like everyone else, and should not be visiting her mother regardless.

Well she's passed the 14 days now, so I guess she'll be okay. But since she could be asymptomatic she should at least contact those people she's been in contact with so they know to keep an eye on any symptoms they could develop. Especially your mum!!

A cleaner is an essential or keyworker even more so if she is cleaning for the elderly.

She really needs to read up then ask for advice on the government guidelines so she doesn't make someone ill or kill them off whether they are a family member or a client.

My cleaners ( professional company ) have stopped . they were using gloves and cleaner that apparently works against the virus and were particularly careful about cross contamination between houses . But even so they have stopped in particular for protecting their own staff .

Big worry though that she visited your parents .If she refuses to stop working then she definitely should not be visiting them . They are obviously be in the highest risk group and really unfortunately now should not have visitors at all .

I hope she is being meticulous about protecting herself as well .

@Hannah021

Did you miss the bit where she said her sister had not been to this house for 16 days? Following advice, she will be ok now as she has passed the 7 day self isolation advice for if you have been in contact with an infected person.

Actually, the advice to self isolate is only if you show symptoms yourself.

Are all of her clients elderly? They might need someone visiting, almost like a carer? Perhaps that is her thinking.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-residential-care-supported-living-and-home-care-guidance/covid-19-guidance-on-home-care-provision

OP, pass this link on to your sister so that she can ensure she is taking appropriate care when doing her work.

If she is cleaning in the homes of elderly and infirm people then she should carry on as they can't do it for themselves. As long as she follows the above info she will be safe.

My cleaner’s agency have told us that their staff can continue to work as usual provided the householders don’t have symptoms. They feel this is in line with government guidance. We’ve told our cleaner that we don’t agree with this and we’ll pay her in full while social distancing is advised.

When did the advice come out that folk have to self-isolate after being near to someone else who was infectious (not a household member)? I missed that.

Or when did the instruction come out from govt that we have to self-isolate if we were in the home of someone 2 days before they had symptoms?

Happy to follow the rules if you can point me at them.

lljkk - There isn't any. People are making it up.

Honestly i would report her if she was my sister

...to whom?

And for what?