Not allowed to self isolate unless told to do so by test and trace??

[Bjollocks]

Is this for real? I honestly didn't realise. How messed up is this??

It depends on how truthful the initial contact is too. I know people that have not passed on the information because they think they are doing a friend or family member a favour.

@Bjollocks

Work will not allow time off. I'm just shocked really. We know the contact tracers aren't doing a great job!

The contact tracers can only do their job if the confirmed cases answer their phones when we call and give us their 'contacts' details. And then the 'contacts' have to pick up their phones and take the advice given.

It's the answering of the phone that is the issue. I say this as a clinical case worker for Track and Trace who faces the daily frustration of the public not answering the phone to speak to us.

@Secretsout sorry, I'm not slating contact tracers, I just meant statistically not enough contacts are being traced. I'm sure it's a nightmare.

Hang on, you’re indignant because you haven’t been told to self isolate but you’re happy playing a contact sport?

What if the person didn’t use T&T. Lots don’t.

You’re supposed to use a bit of common sense. Maybe the rules say you can play rugby ( no idea) but maybe that’s to help the people that work from home or have hadCovid already. If you weren’t prepared to run the risk of getting it you shouldn’t have been within 2 metres should you.

I think the onus is in on people to self isolate if they have been in contact as stated above. The firm couldn’t stop you self isolating.
Of course they wouldn’t pay you. A lot of people won’t get paid to self isolate.

@Secretsout totally agree and even when a tracer does get through they can only go by the info the case gives. People forget sometimes where they’ve been and with who, or the tracer might forget to ask (less likely but can happen)

I would suggest if you know you’re a contact to try and get the number for your local health board track and trace service if possible and call them. Maybe post on here what your health board is and see if anyone has the number?

What would the workplace do if you didn’t come in? Offer unpaid leave?

It's not me! It's a family member! We are all approaching this thing differently. Some people are carrying on. It's all supposed to be covid secure. It's not what I would be doing, but this person has. They've been with someone positive and want to isolate but can't.

The workplace has demanded they take a test too, and that once negative they are expected back at work. The person has no symptoms. But there is nothing online to back up their request to self isolate.

Cross post.

The positive person shouldn’t have been playing with symptoms. Hopefully with a day or so for the test to come back your family friend might not have caught it.

The positive person had no symptoms but later lost sense of taste and smell so took a test which was positive.

When we had a positive test I spent 1hr 30 on the phone to the contact tracer and we only had 2 close contacts within 48 hours. I also provided details of all contacts for the past 7 days for their records.
They did a very thorough job imo.

I then find out that neither of the close contacts have been officially notified yet (3 days later). Good job I told them. They are isolating.

HoneyBee03, well yes that makes sense but if you aren't allowed time off unless T&T tell you to isolate how can that work?

I thought that contact tracing was managing to get to about 60% of close contacts, sometime with a few days delay. It needs to be 80% to be effective. On this basis I can't see how the unofficial process of letting people you've been in contact with know you've tested positive is anything other than helpful.

I appreciate this isn't necessarily the case where local teams are doing the tracking as they are much more effective.

@Bjollocks

The workplace has demanded they take a test too, and that once negative they are expected back at work. The person has no symptoms. But there is nothing online to back up their request to self isolate.

The employer is incorrect to suggest the 'contact' obtain a test and if negative they return to work.

Anecdotally this is happening a lot. 'Contacts' immediately order a test on the false premise that they can come out is isolation if negative.

The test only shows if you have Covid at the time of the test. You can be incubating it, have a negative test then go out and spread it around!

I spent most of the day with a family member in the car. She then tested positive 50 hours after contact, but started with symptoms 12 hrs after contact. I think I fell just outside the T&T criteria but as an HCP I contacted our local PHE team for advice and was told to isolate. I cannot socially distance at work so they were not keen for me to become a super spreader.
I was advised to go for a test which was negative, no idea how I dodged the bullet.

When my daughter tested positive track and trace didn’t even call.

One of my DC is off school because of a positive case in their class (primary). We heard informally well in advance of being notified by school and as the results weren't received until 3 days after the ill child was tested there were a lot of contacts out and about for a good while after the child showed symptoms. It's not hard to see how this is able to spread really.

I've heard of 2 different sports/activities today where friends' dc have been in the same group as a positive case but it has been deemed that the measures taken during the activity are enough to mean they don't now have to isolate. Given how young these children are and given how similar to school at least one of the clubs is, again, I feel it is v clear how this virus gets to spread.

@Bjollocks

Work will not allow time off. I'm just shocked really. We know the contact tracers aren't doing a great job!

Just as a different perspective, myself and DH have recently tested positive. We found track and trace extremely fast, well executed and at times overwhelming as they sent so many messages and emails informing us we must isolate. From our experience they are doing a very good job, as quickly as they can.

There has to be some control otherwise some people will just use it as an excuse to take time off.

OP have you ever managed independent thought??

@Littleposh what the fuck does that mean?

Family member is positive. What a great system.

T&T will only contact you if the person testing positive tells them who you are, with contact details.
They may contact the sports venue or group who may then pass that information on.
However this could take several days, by which time the damage is done.

I tested positive last week and immediately called close contacts - dh, Dd and two friends.

They all went home immediately and they work places did not ask for specific evidence. As I named them and gave contact details all have since been contacted - though this was a day or two later.

I told work (school) immediately too rather than wait for T&T to come into action. School and PHE took action straight away.

For legal reasons you only have to isolate if T&T contact you. Morally you should do it before then if you know you're a close contact and work places can be in trouble if they don't allow you to do so.

The contact tracers can only do their job if the confirmed cases answer their phones when we call and give us their 'contacts' details.

I did mine online via a link emailed to me.
They didn't call me for two days, so just a bit too late really.
I told my known contacts within half an hour of getting the result.
T&T texted my known contacts within minutes of me complete information the online form.
They didn't call my contacts until a couple of days later. They tried Dh once and he couldn't talk as was in the middle of a client video call. They've never called him back.

Something like 40% of contacts aren't managing to be contacted at all, and even the ones that are can take days. You need to use your common sense