2 week Quarantine re-introduced when returning from Spain

[Motheroftwofeline]

Just heard this on breaking news.

From midnight tonight? Bad news for anyone who is there now and due to travel home. We were supposed to be going at the end of August and now I’m limbo about what to do!!!

I perhaps have sympathy for those who did book last year. However i would have been looking to cancel it tbh.

@neveradullmoment99I am one of those people who booked last year to go to the Balearics. We have been actively encouraged by the government up to this point to resume travel and support the economy etc, and don't forget if flights / hotel are operating and we choose not to travel (and therefore it's our choice not to go) we lose our money. Besides which the Balearics actually have a low covid infection rate so this whole thing is ridiculous. Why not just apply the quarantine to mainland Spain? It makes about as much sense as there being an outbreak in Northern Ireland and people in England get told to quarantine for 2 weeks because it's part of the UK. Just because it's technically the same country completely ignores the fact the Balearics and Canaries are completely geographically separated from mainland Spain and aren't therefore having the same issues.

That is appauling. I had no idea freeekedout

I have sympathy for those who booked last year. Booking now / recently is a risk, some are happy to take it, but it’s all so changeable.

Direct quote

From 26 July, the FCO advises against all non-essential travel to mainland Spain based on the current assessment of COVID-19 risks. Only the Canary Islands (Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera, El Hierro and La Graciosa) and Balearic Islands (Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza, and Formentera) are exempt from the FCO advice against all non-essential international travel.

This advice is based on evidence of increases in cases of COVID-19 in several regions, but particularly in Aragon, Navarra and Catalonia (which include the cities of Zaragoza, Pamplona and Barcelona).

The FCO is not advising those already travelling in Spain to leave at this time. Travellers should follow the advice of the local authorities on how best to protect themselves and others, including any measures that they bring in to control the virus. If you are returning from Spain (including from the Balearics and Canaries) on or after 26 July you will be required to quarantine on your return to the UK, but the FCO is not advising you to cut short your visit. You should contact your tour operator or airline if you have any questions about your return journey.

PHE are continuing to monitor the situation in the Balearic and Canary Islands closely. Travellers there should continue to check this advice regularly.

I don’t get the desperate need to travel either. No one needs a holiday, it’s a luxury want.

No, nor can I. Ryanair still running ads...

You only get refund if tour company cancel or if you do because of FCO advice.

Awful @KitKat1985

You should be getting a full refund.

Is anyone really worried if random internet posters think they are selfish. I can't think of anyone's opinion that could matter less.

As for the 'zero sympathy' people - Again, having or not having your sympathy couldn't matter less

@IceCreamAndCandyfloss

I don’t get the desperate need to travel either. No one needs a holiday, it’s a luxury want.

But i do agree with this, to people who have booked this year. I just don't get the need to do this right now. For those that have paid for it well before this, its a disgrace and i feel you should be getting your money back.

@lockdownalli

I would imagine most people in that position just won't bother with quarantine. There is nobody to police it.

You don't have to tell your manager if/where you are going when on annual leave. Most will just go back to work if there is a chance they won't be paid.

Our holiday policy at work has been re-written with immediate effect (was done a couple of weeks ago now). If an employee is travelling abroad they must inform management in writing at least 7 days before travel. Failure to do so may amount to gross misconduct. Employee must agree to quarantine if travelling from somewhere on the government list for quarantine and can only work from home if there is work that can be done from home, otherwise it's unpaid leave. Employees have also been told that as the list of countries in the quarantine list can change at short notice (as this situation proves) they must be prepared for the possibility of quarantine on return, even if the country wasn't on the list prior to travel.

Employers have a duty of care to all staff and need to be aware of anyone has travelled from somewhere that the government requires them to quarantine on return.

Would you be happy with working with someone who had just returned from
Barcelona?

And for the posters who just shrug shoulders and say quarantine doesn't matter as everyone wfh- they need to get out of their bubble and realise that lots of people don't

@Piggywaspushed

Would that include people who booked their holidays in December and can't get a refund??

Thanks a bunch.

This is me - we have just had to pay an addtional £200 to sit together on the sodding plane. We paid the balance so we wouldn't lose our deposit- wish we had just let it go then tbh. Never booked a package before, never will again.

We're screwed. Booked before COVID and got told wait to see nearer the time, then started to look positive, now this, we're booked for Majorca so FCO advice is fine to go but quarantine on coming home, because FCO lets us go can't cancel on insurance

@howfarwevecome

Yeah, we should have known last year that this was going to happen

Lots of people booked before the pandemic started. But booking before the pandemic still involved a decision to still go knowing this might happen.

Yes, I get that people don't want to lose their holiday/money. We had a holiday booked for a week in August; we've lost several hundred pounds cancelling it. Not ideal, but we still felt it was the more sensible approach under the circumstances as we have jobs that won't be sympathetic if we got stuck in a return quarantine like this, especially mine where our Head specifically told all of she wouldn't be impressed if this happened. School year has been tough enough already.

Lots of people booked before the pandemic started. But booking before the pandemic still involved a decision to still go knowing this might happen.

How do you work that out? We usually book our summer holiday in July/August for the following year so without a crystal ball how could we have predicted this?

I couldn’t care less if people care or not, their loss if money is lost, but I still do have sympathy for those who booked last year. That is tough.

We booked in September and took out insurance through the Post Office at the same time, so a reputable enough source. But their policy excludes epidemics and pandemics so, contrary to popular belief, those who booked before Covid aren't covered 😢

We paid full balance too. Hadn't yet paid the crooks to sit together on plane though.

Packages are supposed to be safer but it seems people booking independently have encountered more kindness and flexibility.

@KitKat1985

I perhaps have sympathy for those who did book last year. However i would have been looking to cancel it tbh.

@neveradullmoment99I am one of those people who booked last year to go to the Balearics. We have been actively encouraged by the government up to this point to resume travel and support the economy etc, and don't forget if flights / hotel are operating and we choose not to travel (and therefore it's our choice not to go) we lose our money. Besides which the Balearics actually have a low covid infection rate so this whole thing is ridiculous. Why not just apply the quarantine to mainland Spain? It makes about as much sense as there being an outbreak in Northern Ireland and people in England get told to quarantine for 2 weeks because it's part of the UK. Just because it's technically the same country completely ignores the fact the Balearics and Canaries are completely geographically separated from mainland Spain and aren't therefore having the same issues.

We haven't been able to get through to the operator to cancel/defer/ask for a refund. Were told 72 hours before travel on Monday morning that they had found us alternative flights - we were expecting them to cancel.

We usually use that too Freeked, it was probably quite rare to have it included back then

So KitKat - you have my sympathy - we are in the same place as you

@Piggywaspushed

No, nor can I. Ryanair still running ads...

You only get refund if tour company cancel or if you do because of FCO advice.

That's right, and I am very thankful for the school staff who decided to keep the money for an upcoming expensive school trip early next year in the school bank accounts rather than booking it immediately otherwise we'd have lost a lot of money if this is all still an issue then.

Not that that helps you and you have my sympathy Piggy.

tigger1001

Same here. If you go abroad you let them know beforehand and you must take two weeks UNPAID leave on return whether you can WFH or not.

Thems the rules now and foreign travel will be decimated by this, but probably the kick in the arse SOME people needed to put the good of everyone above their own needs and wants.

Tough times. And I will probably be murdered online for what I have posted. Sorry but reality is back now.

I'm sorry for everyone who's having their trips disrupted by this Our trip two weeks ago was great and we have stayed well, goes to show how quickly things can change. I hate the judgement some display over those who try to get on and make the most of their lives and fit in a joyful experience. Having said that the hotel breakfast made us nervous the last couple of days with the increased amount of ppl in a small space, even though it was served by staff. The hotel did such a good job with the pool area and the hotel hygiene, they had more space to expand the breakfast. 🤔 Or even could done some room service to keep ppl socially distanced. Not sure how many of the outbreaks are linked to tourists? (Genuine thought).

Oh shit . We were supposed to fly out on 6th August to our house in Spain. Not an issue for husband who works from home and kids but I could not self quarantine and work from home.

The really shit thing is that I have had covid ( healthcare worker) positive test still have high antibody levels etc. I’m pretty sure that I won’t get it again this year ( maybe next year if it mutates).
And still I would have to self isolate!!! What a shit show.

No one is policing a quarantine properly in the UK.

And still I would have to self isolate!!! What a shit show.

But common sense surely? And flying out to your house in Spain was always going to be a risky thing to do. Are you looking to blame someone?