Can you contest a notification to self-isolate?

[ReviewingTheSituation]

My DH had an isolation notification last night through the T&T app. It says he has to isolate for 7 days, ending midnight on Saturday.

It said the 'contact' (that wasn't the word it used, but can't remember the exact one) was on Wednesday, and the 'notification date' was Thursday (I assume this is the date the positive test was logged).

However, we were on holiday last week, and on Wednesday we didn't do anything that could possibly constitute 'close contact'. We checked out of our SC accommodation (didn't see a soul - just left), drove to a beach, had a long walk over the cliffs, drove to another beauty spot and had another long walk, bought a coffee from an outdoor kiosk (so spoke to another person, but behind a screen, outdoors, and for a couple of minutes max).
Checked into new accommodation (contactless - used a keypad to get the key, didn't see a person), then went for dinner. We sat at the most distanced tables I've seen - several metres apart. There was no-one on the table closest to us, and the next nearest table was several metres away (the other side of a walkway). Ordering was by app, so the only contact with staff was the few seconds where they delivered drinks and food to the table.

From what I've read, you have to isolate if you've been within 2m for 15 mins or more, but we weren't within 2m for more than a few seconds all day.

Can he contest the isolation request, and if so - how do you go about it?

@sparemonitor

This is why many people who downloaded the app deleted it soon afterwards......but now you've had it I think you're up for a 10k fine if caught out.

Caught by who?

I don't have the app and so far it's been very easy. I either give my name and contact information at the door and they write it down or they have a QR code you can scan that takes you to their own in house records - so not the govt one and then fill it out there.

@ATieLikeRichardGere

I know someone who accidentally turned off notifications on his phone. He noticed something was wrong with his phone so after a couple of weeks of going about his business as usual his son came round to take a look, and he turned notifications back on. First notification was along the lines of “congratulations, today is the final day of your isolation period!”

😂😂😂

It’s like you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink 😂

@Marcanana

It's possible that someone else checking into your first accommodation after you left it might have tested positive, or perhaps the people who left your second accommodation that morning, or the person who cleaned it, might have tested positive the following day. I don't know what the time window is (given that you don't check out of a venue, how do they know how long you are there for?)

The app works on Bluetooth and measures proximity and length of time you are in contact. It can be a cumulative 15 minutes so doesn't have to be 15 minutes all at once. Or if you are closer than 1m you would only need a minute or so to become a contact

@ATieLikeRichardGere it must be different to the Scottish one as I never used that to check in at venues. I've deleted it now though because I realised I could get false contacts as I leave my phone in lockers at the gym for an hour or more at a time and that could trigger an alert with someone who does the same!

@Overthebow

I don’t have the app, I just sign in at each venue by using paper forms. Haven’t been turned away from anywhere yet.

Same here I think we as a nation are u dear enough surveys as it is

@Marcanana

It's possible that someone else checking into your first accommodation after you left it might have tested positive, or perhaps the people who left your second accommodation that morning, or the person who cleaned it, might have tested positive the following day. I don't know what the time window is (given that you don't check out of a venue, how do they know how long you are there for?)

Sounds like loads of scenarios of where things could go wrong Sounds like a lot of hassle to me

*surveillance

If you go to settings and check in history it will give you the place that you checked in on the same day as the contact.

It's nothing to do with where they checked in. The app is working on Bluetooth and phones being in contact with each other for a certain amount of time at a certain distance

@Yondergoat - it tells you where you checked in, but not where the mysterious contact was. And we know where we checked in anyway. But as the PP says, it's nothing to do with check-ins.

He says he's going to do the isolation. His loss, I guess.

Uninstall the app and crack on. I have never had it for this very reason, I just leave details where required.

Most likely it was from someone in the room next to you in your accommodation. Our app flagged us for self-isolation when our neighbours (terraced house) got Covid - we hadn't spoken to them in days, but the timing matched exactly.

My personal view is that if you're confident that it is a false alarm, you can and should ignore it.

Just ignore it. Delete the ap and FGS don’t download it again.

Why not download again?
That's exactly what my friend does
Download app
Checkin
Delete app
Download next tine needed to check in

I deleted the app. I either give my details manually or wave my phone in the general direction of the QR code and pretend to book in.

We know someone who figured out their request to isolate could only be because their neighbours tested positive and phones were plugged in by bedsides in a terrace so within 2m through the wall overnight for long periods. She got the notification at end of the week and hadn’t been anywhere since the prior weekend as was having a busy wfh week. You can turn off the bluetooth and only use venue check in

Delete it and move on.

OP I had a notification like this. The only difference is that I did spend some time in (relatively) close contact with others for >15mins in a restaurant but my DH was at the same small table as me and definitely in range of the other people, and he didn’t get notified of an exposure by the app. I did self isolate but I didn’t think it was really necessary.

I have never used the app. My bil was zapped because he popped into a shop for a couple of minutes - the only place he went all day (works from home). I'd just ignore it.

Ignore it. It is bollocks.

There is no legal obligation to isolate, if you’ve had a text from the app. It’s not legally enforceable. If you will lose income you can apply for a self isolation payment, but only as a close contact/positive case/assigned a TTP officer to contact you every day.

From what you've said it was possibly the restaurant
The 2 meter distance is a guideline but it can be caught further away. People have caught the virus in churches, stadiums, public transport at more distance. Also the case in the news at the moment of a man in Australia shopping who infected people just by walking past them.
As someone else said in your actual phone settings (not the app) there is more app info and times

Same happened to me in similar circumstances last week

I can only think that it picked up a signal through a wall
I'm a worrier so I did cancel a few things but didn't stick to it rigidly because like you I knew I hadn't been in contact with anyone bar masked waiting staff for a few seconds
I've now turned it off. Sorry but I'm not isolating in those circumstances