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Original poster

What’s our position here?

62 replies

HeyMacarona · 05/10/2020 10:30

DP and I live with 2 adult DS. DS 1 and GF arrive home from a non quarantine country on Wednesday and stay at her place.

They arrive at my house on Thursday and spend some time chatting but mainly in DS room. DS stays home and she goes home.

DS mainly in room until Friday when she arrived again and stays over chatting again with myself and DP and same on Saturday morning until they both leave for her house.

She gets contacted by track and trace on Saturday as she has been in contact with a positive and takes as test. This morning she received a positive result. They are now away from us at her house for a minimum of 2 weeks.

What is the position for myself, DP and DS 2? Are we to self isolate as they are classed as living here or are we close contacts? (I genuinely can’t find the answer to this).

OP posts:
Missandra · 05/10/2020 10:32

Yes you are all to self isolate

PinotLovesMomma · 05/10/2020 10:34

Did you spend more than 15min together less than 2m distance? If you did then yes you are a contact.

Original poster
HeyMacarona · 05/10/2020 10:38

SaskiaRembrandt I’ve been on that link it says only self isolate if contacted by track and trace I’m trying to work out if it’s classed as a close contact or living here as if living here it’s a definite isolate.

pinot more than 15 mins contact but 2m distance?

OP posts:
Original poster
HeyMacarona · 05/10/2020 10:41

I’m going to self isolate anyway as a precaution but I wfh so no problem for me. DPand DS work say only permitted if they develop symptoms.

We’re just trying to the right thing.

OP posts:
SaskiaRembrandt · 05/10/2020 10:42

It says 'If you have been informed that you are a contact of a person who has had a positive test result for COVID-19, you must self-isolate at home for 14 days from the date of your last contact with them. You could be fined if you do not stay at home and self-isolate if you are contacted by NHS Test and Trace and instructed to do so.'

That seems pretty clear. You have been informed that you are a contact of someone who has tested positive so you need to isolate. If T&T get in touch and find out you aren't you can be fined. The person who has received the positive test is a contact but doesn't live with you, so that is the protocol you follow.

SaskiaRembrandt · 05/10/2020 10:45

@HeyMacarona

I’m going to self isolate anyway as a precaution but I wfh so no problem for me. DPand DS work say only permitted if they develop symptoms.

We’re just trying to the right thing.

Your son and partner's employers are breaking the law if the insist they go to work. They need to stay off work even if they don't have symptoms until they receive a negative test.

We've had this situation several times at my workplace. Those employees did not come in until they had tested negative.

Original poster
HeyMacarona · 05/10/2020 10:45

It says:

”Contacts who need to self-isolate will be notified and advised accordingly by the NHS Test and Trace service. If you have not been notified, this means you do not need to self-isolate“

I’ve not been contacted by track and trace so no it’s not clear.

OP posts:
SaskiaRembrandt · 05/10/2020 10:48

@HeyMacarona

It says:

”Contacts who need to self-isolate will be notified and advised accordingly by the NHS Test and Trace service. If you have not been notified, this means you do not need to self-isolate“

I’ve not been contacted by track and trace so no it’s not clear.

If you look at the news today you'll notice that many thousands of contacts haven't been notified by T&T. T&T is a shitstorm. Those people should still be isolating. Technically, I suppose you could ignore that and carry on as normal.
Original poster
HeyMacarona · 05/10/2020 10:50

Like I said I’m not going to just ignore it. But based on this DP and DS have to go to work. I was unclear if staying over meant it had to be classed as living here because that changes the position.

DS GF was only in contact with the positive on Thursday and was contacted on Saturday.

OP posts:
movingonup20 · 05/10/2020 10:55

If she was in contact on Thursday there is no possibility she was emitting virus particles on Friday, it takes a minimum of 48 hours and (we think) up to 2 weeks to become symptomatic. She's most likely to be infectious from day 4 according to studies.

Original poster
HeyMacarona · 05/10/2020 11:01

Me and DP are thinking it was from the Holiday and not the contact on Thursday as 48 hours later with positive test is a bit quick?

OP posts:
Itsabeautifuldayheyhey · 05/10/2020 11:15

It seems fairly straightforward to me. You have not been contacted by track and trace. Your son's gf has (and is following the isolation guidelines).

Presumably your son's gf has the app on her phone and you would have been contacted if it was necessary for you to isolate.

If you have not been notified that you are a contact, this means you do not need to self-isolate and should follow the general guidance, for example, social distancing, hand-washing, and covering coughs and sneezes.

Original poster
HeyMacarona · 05/10/2020 11:17

Just to be clear I’m unsure if the fact that she stayed at my house means she could be classed as somebody I live with?

OP posts:
RedskyAtnight · 05/10/2020 11:49

Legally, I suspect that OP is correct - she's not been notified by T&T so she doesn't need to self-isolate.

However, regardless of T&T, she knows that she's been in close contact with someone who's tested positive. The morally correct thing to do is self-isolate.

ginnybag · 05/10/2020 15:06

You've had someone who is positive stay at your house, twice, in the last few days. You've chatted with her. You've likely shared a bathroom, touched doors and surfaces etc. You'll have been in the same rooms for lengths of time, with poor or no ventilation.

Additionally, your DS has moved between her and you, and is very, very, very likely to have caught it.

So, yes, you should all be self-isolating. You know you and your home environment have been extensively exposed to a positive case on more than one occasion - so why do you need a phone call?

14 days from the last contact with positive case

Original poster
HeyMacarona · 05/10/2020 15:17

Because ginnybag she doesn’t live here she stayed over 1 night (over on 2 occasions but only once overnight) so was unclear if this qualifies us as her living here because if only a contact and we are not contacted by TT the the rules state that we don’t need to isolate

To be clear we are not trying to find a technicality to avoid isolation, I have stated several times that I will isolate anyway. The issue is that DP and DS2 workplaces will not let them isolate as rules state no need to unless she lived here or they had symptoms.

We are all staying isolated apart from DP and DS2 working, I’m working from home.

OP posts:
dalmationsandcats · 05/10/2020 15:49

I agree with @ginnybag and think Track and Trace is irrelevant here. She stayed at your house during the time she was infectious. Your DP and DS need you let their employers know that someone in the household has tested positive and that they will need to isolate.

StatisticalSense · 05/10/2020 15:53

@SaskiaRembrandt
Negative tests are irrelevant. The only reason a contact should get tested is if they themselves develop symptoms and even if it comes back negative they must continue to isolate.

Original poster
HeyMacarona · 05/10/2020 15:55

I’ve said previously....

DP and DS have let their employers know but unless they either; get symptoms, are called by TT, or she was classed as living here they are not being permitted to isolate.

Again to be clear I’m not suggesting that I need to call to isolate, I’m not Margaret Ferrier.

OP posts:
MRex · 05/10/2020 16:05

Tell the workplaces that she was temporarily living there, or have her call T&T to get you all added asap.

Who are these lunatic employers who seem to want infected people running round the building?

dalmationsandcats · 05/10/2020 16:13

@HeyMacarona then your DP and DS need to tell them she was temporarily living with you, as the poster below said.

Original poster
HeyMacarona · 05/10/2020 16:14

They did make clear that she stayed here. Two very well known companies would you believe. I guess the system is set up to protect the economy, no wonder it’s spreading.

OP posts:
Mindymomo · 05/10/2020 16:15

I don’t think it matters if she stayed over or not, but basically if anyone spent more than 15 minutes and were within 2 metres of her, then they need to isolate. You cannot rely on track and trace as they have admitted today that 1000’s of cases have not been registered over the last week, therefore it may be days before they get in touch.

AliciaWhiskers · 05/10/2020 16:25

What a terrible situation that your DP and DS have been put in. They absolutely need to isolate - they are both direct contacts of a known case during her infectious period. The thing with test and trace is that they will only contact those people for whom they are given the details of - so if she doesn't have any contact details for your DP or doesn't name him on the form she completes, they won't contact him. And as PP have said they are likely to be running somewhat behind at the moment with all the stuff that has happened with however many thousand cases that went missing last week.

It is our responsibility to also self isolate when we know we are contacts rather than waiting for test and trace to tell us to do it. But the workplaces involved are just wrong (and dangerous)