Track and trace how does it work?

[OpheliasCrayon]

How long after you'd been with someone, say in a restaurant or something , would track and trace reasonably get in touch with you?

As in, do people have to go for the meal, then get symptoms, then order a test, then wait for the results, then be contacted by track and trace - ie many days would have passed since id been in the vicinity and it's not like I'd go today and I'd be contacted tomorrow ?

And does the isolation period start on the day you went to that restaurant (ie some of the time would have already passed by the time they contacted you) or the day they contact you?

Trying to weigh up what risks I'm prepared to take regarding socialising and needing to be able to still go to work (can't work at home) because if I don't work I don't get paid.

I think the thing to remember is it’s 14 days isolation from contact with someone with a positive test result so you will have not been isolating for the first (however many) days. It’s not 14 days punishment for daring to leave home. My dd is isolating but her isolation started on day 4.

I think the thing to remember is it’s 14 days isolation from contact with someone with a positive test result

This and it only relates to CLOSE contacts - those within 2m for more than 15 minutes pretty much.

So in most restaurants it's usually only your own table that is affected.

I tested positive today, test done yesterday. Because I didn't have one of the 3 main symptoms we are supposed to treat it from yesterday's date, so any close contacts within 48 hours. So that's just dh and dd. I didn't have close contact with anyone at work as I was only there for about 45 minutes, with a mask and wasn't teaching - I went home when I felt more ill to see the doctors (for what I thought was a non COVID reason.) However we saw friends on Saturday - not within the 48 hours but common says they're most likely at risk, esp,as the symptom, although not one of the big 3 is a COVID symptom just not a testable one. So we've told them. I contacted the place we went and no other table would be classed as a close contact.

We saw those friends on Saturday evening, I informed them today - so they've all had 4 days of their 14 day period done as it is.

Thanks all. Well I'm now not going anyway as Ive just had a very long awaited procedure scheduled for a couple of weeks time. Whilst unlikely I don't want to add any extra risk (beyond the fact I teach) that I may get covid and not be able to have it done .... I'll need to be tested before so no longer want to take any extra risk

@anniegun

You will be contacted if you have been in close contact with someone for a defined period. So in a restaurant with social distancing you will not be deemed to have come in contact with another table

This.

If you are at the restaurant with someone not from your household and you are sitting closer than 2m to them and they test positive you should be contacted and told to isolate, but you shouldn't be close enough to random strangers at another table to be a close contact.

If it's any help before I decided not for other reasons, I'd called the place and ask what they would do if someone had got covid. They actually said that if they were contacted they would just hand over all the details for all the people in on that night. So....I am not sure you can say definitely that you won't get contacted if you're not at the same / a close table ..as this place would just have given everything over if asked.

I filled in my T&T document today online. It asked me all about my contacts since two days before I felt ill - although I didn't have the big 3 symptoms they treated it from the day I had my first other symptoms.

I had to provide details of my workplace and any where I'd been. Had to include as much information as I could. I also had to give the name and contacts of anyone who was a close contact at any of the places. Dh,, and our friends sat at our table were texted from T&T within minutes of me submitting it.

I also had to give details of anywhere I'd been in the 5 days prior to those two days before symptoms too as part of their tracing procedure for me, guess they check their database to see where I may have got it from.