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Original poster

Quarantine on arrival to UK

88 replies

Alex50 · 22/05/2020 19:31

Wouldn’t it be easier just to test people on arrival? Couldn’t the airline companies just add the test price into to the flight price?

OP posts:
Redolent · 22/05/2020 21:46

Testing on arrival is done in Hong Kong and they’re doing exceptionally well.

tootyfruitypickle · 22/05/2020 21:53

I quite often ignore the doorbell! How can anyone prove you’re not home! Esp if unwell! I’d def not be answering the door then.
Is it some kind of heat scan thing to see if you’re homeGrin.
Or will they enlist Alexa.

tootyfruitypickle · 22/05/2020 21:56

They need to go the Australian way and put in hotels. Which will cost.

This govt is just making it up on the hoof

Original poster
Alex50 · 22/05/2020 22:04

I’m guessing they take your mobile number and track you from that, then ring to make sure you are with your phone, they could do a weekly visit to also check.

OP posts:
Delatron · 22/05/2020 22:06

Talk about too little too late.

This may have been effective in Feb/March but even now we are saying it won’t be implemented for a couple of weeks. When other countries have been doing this for months. They must look at us and think wtf?!

lljkk · 22/05/2020 22:31

South Korea puts ankle tags on quarantine violators. Probably go that way.

I wonder if holidays will be allowed at all in UK this summer... maybe camping. So glad we had booked nothing.

FernieB · 22/05/2020 22:43

It's not hugely logical. If I return from somewhere abroad, i take a taxi home or get a tram and train, or a bus. Does everyone I come into contact with on my journey home also have to quarantine? Do pilots and cabin crew and their families have to quarantine after every flight? What about airport staff? It really makes no sense.

Its the same ridiculous logic that has decided we can't have a friend round but you can have your cleaner, and you can't go into your parents house but you can view a house for sale.

crimsonlake · 22/05/2020 23:26

Alexa50 I was wondering exactly the same thing, My son has to come home from Spain where he has been during lockdown and I am wondering if I will still be able to go to work?

jonnybiscuits · 22/05/2020 23:31

WTAF?? The UK are just doing this NOW? NZ and Aus did this 2 months ago!
Also in NZ the government realised that 'self quarantine' didn't work after they did spot checks at the addresses people said they were isolating in. So now all incoming travellers were put in government mandated hotels with police security.

I can't believe the UK is just contemplating this. What a mess.

highmarkingsnowbile · 22/05/2020 23:34

So you get off the plane, told to self-isolate, but you jump on the tram, the Tube, a bus or an Uber, stop by the supermarket to pick up food, maybe other things as more will be open, and no one stops you, so you can sit at home for 14 days. That's a joke.

Dinosauratemydaffodils · 22/05/2020 23:51

I’m guessing they take your mobile number and track you from that, then ring to make sure you are with your phone, they could do a weekly visit to also check.

Due to massive stone walls and cliffs behind the house our phones only work in specific parts of our 3 storey house (held up against the window on the top floor). Whilst we would stay in, we wouldn't spend a fortnight holding the phone there. Most of the village has no phone signal either.

Clumsyduck · 22/05/2020 23:55

Also been wondering if the person traveling in can self isolate with other people

ie family member returning would they be able to stay in the same house as long as everyone self isolates ?

highmarkingsnowbile · 23/05/2020 00:46

I don't have a mobile phone. I really don't.

Namenic · 23/05/2020 01:38

@exexpat - completely agree.

The ideal situation would be nz/Singapore model where you have mandatory quarantine in hotel/isolation facility (like they did with the initial cruise passengers). This can be jointly funded by passenger and govt.

Second best would be to have the above but allow the people who have suitable home facilities to do their quarantine at a registered address. Those that don’t (Eg no video/phone access) would have to have govt facility. Then have quarantine officers call/video-call randomly.

For transport: One way would be a mandatory special taxi to a registered address - possibly with a screen between driver’s compartment and driver PPE and passenger mask. This could be jointly funded by passenger and govt.

I don’t think this is a hard problem compared to building a nightingale hospital. Many European countries have shut at least some borders. I also think that the UK-France border should be shut with depot at UK end - maybe re-use the brexit plan for queuing lorries? For France - ask British drivers to drop off load at a registered depot near Calais, Otherwise they have to do 14 days?

Kokeshi123 · 23/05/2020 02:55

Quarantining new arrivals might seem a bit pointless now. But it does serve a purpose, in that it signals to the population that the country is now trying to take the situation back under control.

If you DON'T quarantine new arrivals, it means that efforts to get the number of infections down within the country will just flounder because everyone will think "What's the point? New cases will just keep coming in via the airports?" and a sense of despair and inertia will take over.

This is an important step in signaling a new direction. It now needs to be followed up with test/trace, OOH quarantine, masks and a bunch of other things.

The summer is coming and there is evidence that the virus is struggling-this is the moment to get things under control.

SnowsInWater · 23/05/2020 04:04

I'm in Sydney where people have had to quarantine for 14 days in government approved facilities since March so I'm sorry, but I think the UK is a joke. It should have been done months ago but if you really want to do it at this stage then do it immediately, not in over two week's time. As far as I am aware the majority of cases here that haven't been linked to one of two care home or the Ruby Princes ship (yes, that was our big stuff up) have been people who have returned from overseas and tested positive whilst in quarantine so they are being dealt with before they can go and infect others (and we are talking single figures). I don't feel smug about being in Australia just desperately concerned for family, including a 103yo, living in the UK and Europe.

StartupRepair · 23/05/2020 04:19

Should have put it in place weeks ago. In Australia we have had it for weeks. People are taken from the airport to a hotel and locked in for 2 weeks with food and check-ins. It's not that pleasant but it is the price to pay for traveling here at this time. We have had a total of 102 deaths from covid19.

rosie1959 · 23/05/2020 04:47

This is one thing I can’t understand we are an island why did we not close our boarders as soon as there was a whiff of this virus way back in Jan Feb.

Turnandfacethenamechange · 23/05/2020 06:29

I just started a separate thread because I didn't see this one. Also confused about the bit where it says you can isolate at a friend or family members Confused

DP and me both have housemates who are still going out to work so we can't go home... I don't mind going to an assigned hotel but worried about being given a giant bill at the end of it!

AnxiousAnnie13 · 23/05/2020 06:42

I quite often ignore the doorbell! How can anyone prove you’re not home!

If that's how the go about enforcing it, I imagine the rule will be "answer the doorbell or get a fine."

jasjas1973 · 23/05/2020 06:59

Whatever "add on's" posters wish to put on this policy, the rule is you travel to a pre registered address....... and this is the get out "You stay at home for 14 days only leaving for medical reasons OR to shop if you can't get it delivered" so "sorry i wasn't in, needed to go to tesco's" "oh thats fine madam, sorry to bother you"

The other get out is if you wish to travel to your parents address for childcare (after testing positive) but you need to be a govt adviser for that one.

Considering we are basically now allowed to do as we please and have infection rates to back that up, this policy seems bizarre to say the least, it will destroy the travel, aviation & ferry businesses for no gain.

tootyfruitypickle · 23/05/2020 07:07

I think they’d have to put people in hotels at passenger cost. It’d work as a deterrent to travelling , which I guess is needed.
Question is also - Will fco advisory continue the entire time quarantine is in place. I have a holiday booked and wouldn’t go if quarantine (Even tho I can wfh). If flights resume during this I’d just lose the money?

tootyfruitypickle · 23/05/2020 07:08

Legally I’m not really sure they can enforce this just for not answering the door! Surely there’d be legal test cases all over the place?

AuntieStella · 23/05/2020 07:42

The enforcers will wait on the doorstep (for at least the length of time of a shopping trip) ringing the doorbell periodically. They might also ask neighbours if they saw you go out and when.

That assumes they recruit enough people to do the checking, and can take as long as it takes.

If you were out for several hours, reasonable inferences would be drawn. Which you could challenge (CCTV - esp in shop selling essentials - should show whereabouts, HCPs could confirm necessary time at a medical facility) or just pay up.

Presumably the Volunteer Army who shopmfor those whomcannot go out, could include those quarantining too?

I think the authorities have to be fairly hardline on this for itntomstand any chance of working.

And they need to take steps to demonstrate that travelling the length of the country, even in a private car, is Not On for anyone who needs to be in isolation, ever and who ever.

ShanghaiDiva · 23/05/2020 07:53

My dh was quarantined in China when he returned in March. Procedure as follows:
Given hazmat suit at airport and taken by bus to final,destination.
Tested at airport.
14 days quarantine in a designated facility.
Twice daily temp checks.
Tested again on day 13 of quarantine.
All costs paid by quarantined individual.
Day 15 free to go home.
If arrivals to uk can travel by public transport to final destination they could potentially infect people prior to starting self isolation.