Amber country return - no checks?!

[porkincider]

I came back from Portugal on Wednesday 9th after a booked holiday. I flew out when it was green, it got demoted to amber, I couldn’t change flights so had to self isolate on return.

On flying out I had to show negative PCR test and fill in a Madeira Safe form (similar to our UK passenger locator form). The staff UK side checked very quickly to make sure I had the paperwork but on arrival in Madeira all the QR codes that came with the paperwork were checked to ensure they were genuine, photocopies of passports made and all logged on officially on the Madeira Safe form.

On return again the staff at Madeira airport checked I had it all ready to show on arrival but it’s for the UK government rather than theirs so I expected it to be check when I landed in London. On landing I went straight through passport control, no checks to see if I had my PCR certificate, didn’t even ask if I’d had it abd didn’t ask if I’d filled in my passenger locator form and check it matched my passport details or driving license.

I’ve now been back over a week and have had my day 2 and day 7 test that I booked and paid for but I have had zero phone calls or visits to check that I’m where I said I would be, no one has asked me to link the tests to the locator form. My boyfriend who came with me received an email on day 1 but that was it.

I’m hearing some people are being called every day and getting home visits to check that they’re not breaking curfew. Why are checks still not being done. I could’ve caught CV on holiday and no one is checking my whereabouts at all. It’s all bonkers.

knock on your neighbours' doors and ask them to be covid police to keep you in order, OP? I guess you'd like that.

This is why we'll take forever to get out of the situation we're in

Your 2nd and 7th day tests will be on your NHS record and may have been checked that way. Hope you enjoyed Madeira, we’ve been 3 times and loved it there. It’s not exactly a party capital, so maybe they just hope people like yourselves are abiding by current covid rules.

lljkk weird take. I just assumed that there would be checks to ensure that I didn’t have CV before entering the country and there weren’t 🤷‍♀️

I'm on a Facebook group for British people living in the US who are travelling back to the UK, and almost all of them have had fairly regular in person visits to check they are quarantining where they said they would be.

mindymomo it was absolutely glorious, thanks. I’ve never been before and assumed it would be similar to the Canaries but it was totally different. I’ll definitely be going back. That’s good to hear it will be linked to NHS records though. Do you know how they do it? I haven’t been asked my NHS number or GP details at all, I guess they can do it from passport number?

ZZtopguitarsolo that’s what’s happened to my friend who came back from France - daily calls on the house phone at differing times each day. I assumed it would be the same for me but neither myself or my boyfriend have had anything.

Family member came from france and had daily phone calls and three in person visits also.

well who covers the cost of these 'in person' visits....and who makes them?

will the costs be passed on to the returning holidaymaker? the airline?

@Bluebird2021

well who covers the cost of these 'in person' visits....and who makes them?

will the costs be passed on to the returning holidaymaker? the airline?

No idea - but they're not all 'returning holidaymakers'.

i know they aren't....but i said holidaymakers as they are the ones who make a choice. they choose to leave the country for leisure's who pays?

I suspect I'm on the same fb group as ZZtopguitarsolo

I returned to the US last week after spending two weeks in the UK. I had an in-person check on my first day in quarantine and then daily phone calls until after I'd received my day 5 Test to Release results. I'm hearing so many stories that checks are happening which is a huge improvement on last summer.

No idea Bluebird. No one I know is entering the UK returning from holidays. They’re all going for things like seeing family, going to college, starting new jobs, business, etc.

When we went last year the passenger locator form allowed you to ask to be contacted by text. I work from home and once back from holiday I will be on back to back zoom calls and cannot break off a senior meeting to take a call from a No Caller ID call on the off chance it’s the checkers. Needless to say the three of us had no checks done at Heathrow, no checks on where we were self isolating and no phone calls.

Could any one confirm that you can still request a text? Happy to provide proof that I am a home worker. Also a relative last year was called and when she asked about going for food shopping she was told they would prefer her not to but if she didn’t have any other option she could go to the supermarket.

Franklin12 You are right in that last year you could opt to be contacted by text, or landline or even email I think. This year they have changed the form so you still can give mobile/landline/email info, and if I remember correctly there is still an option to choose your preferred option or select that you can be contacted in any way.

However this year, if you select that you only want to be contacted by text, a new box opens up for you to explain why you don't want to be contacted by phone or email. Likewise, if you select landline only, a new box then asks you why they can't contact the mobile etc

On that basis, it seems that you could select the mobile as your first choice and then in the new popup box where it asks why they can't contact your landline you could explain how you will be on work calls. That should work. Also when I spoke to the tracers, they can make notes on the system when they speak to you so even if you spoke to them on day 1, they could make note of your preference and reasons going forwards I guess.

@narniaswardrobe

I suspect I'm on the same fb group as ZZtopguitarsolo

I returned to the US last week after spending two weeks in the UK. I had an in-person check on my first day in quarantine and then daily phone calls until after I'd received my day 5 Test to Release results. I'm hearing so many stories that checks are happening which is a huge improvement on last summer.

Was it worth the trip? Did all go OK? What day were you able to actually stop quarantining using the Test to Release results?

DH really needs to go over and sort a bunch of stuff out as his mum's dementia is getting much worse. I read on the group that you can quarantine in two different locations which would work out for him - he could spend a few days with his mum and a few days with his brother.

I came back from Spain about a month ago and had phone calls every single day. My friend had Track and Trace knock at his door on two different days.

franklin12 there was still an option to be contacted by text on the passenger locator form. I wish I’d ticked it now as I was taking my phone into the shower with me and everything as I was paranoid about missing the call and getting into trouble. Also I was bored out of my mind and looking forward to someone calling me! I’m just waiting for the results of my day8 test now and then I’ll be free. I’ve been doing latflow tests daily so I should be ok.

I don’t know who is doing the actual tests or who is paying for them. When I flew on holiday it was still a green list country, as far as we were told it would remain so or we’d get a weeks notice before changes and holidays were permitted. The passenger locator forms are free and the cost for the tests themselves just go straight to the test provider.

Maybe as so many people are still coming back from Portugal they’re less strict on chasing them up as it was still green until recently?

zztopguitarsolo there’s talk of US being one of the first countries to be green listed again. Hopefully it will be by the time your dh goes out and he won’t need to worry about all this quite so much.

@Bluebird2021

well who covers the cost of these 'in person' visits....and who makes them?

will the costs be passed on to the returning holidaymaker? the airline?

Given the how much you get charged for the day 2 and 8 tests you would hope some of that goes to fund the visits.......

Failing that over the years the treasury has made more than a tiny sum out of UK Airport Passenger Duty...I'm sure they'll be happy to help facilitate continued travel.....

DH and I recently returned from an Amber list country. Our paperwork was checked thoroughly at Stansted and we were called every day of our quarantine period. I was quite impressed with the efficiency.

Thank you all. I can explain quite happily my situation. My DH is the same. Does anyone know about the food side of things? Relative was definitely told they would rather she didn’t go to supermarket but if she really needed to she was allowed. They are hardly going to say no starve....

But with a mobile you could be anywhere? Or pretend to be. I think if it’s still in this horrible mess then I will request email or text. I am blooming always on email...

Planning to go to Madeira as I don’t believe its baking hit mid July.

@Franklin12 there is such a thing as supermarket deliveries?!

My relative told the agent she couldn’t get one. This was a while ago though and he then said you can go out for food and essentials such as medical appt. I am fully jabbed and have elderly parents. If anything happens to them there is NO way I am staying at home,