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Track and trace calling every day?

84 replies

crayray · 30/06/2021 18:55

DH has just returned from an overseas trip to an amber country. He took a call today from track and trace to remind him of all the rules he needs to follow (and to read a long speech from a script about data security). After the speech he told the caller that he'd had a call yesterday and been through all the same information. The caller said 'yes that's right. We have to call you every single day for the ten days'. I'm bemused by this. What's the point?? If he decided to break the rules and go out and about during this period, he wouldn't exactly tell them! (not that he will be going out). And it's not like they're giving him new information each day!? Could they be tracing the location of his mobile phone during these calls? If so, surely they would have to be up front about it. If they're not, what are they achieving? I could understand if he had missed a call one day and they called the next, but surely they don't need to have the same discussion with him 10 times...

OP posts:
BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 30/06/2021 18:58

Yes they can call daily. They can also come and do a doorstep visit.

In theory someone could still go out for a walk, but why? Just isolate. And just say "yes I am still isolating" when they call.

RJnomore1 · 30/06/2021 19:00

Don’t answer.

I was really ill with the virus abd they phoned bloody constantly. It wasn’t quick calls either. I answered one to make sure they had my track and trace details or whatever the duck it’s called in Scotland but I regretted that, twenty odd minutes to tell them I was in two shops while they asked question after question. I thought I would pass out and kept telling them.

So I decided they can call there is no legal obligation to answer. I’d do the same (stil isolate obviously) if I was him.

Skyechasemarshalontheway · 30/06/2021 19:04

When i came back from a amber country i missed a health protection scotland call and had a call from the police asking if i knew the rules as they had passed my details on.
I was in bed asleep when they called. I imagine if i missed the police one they might have turned up.

The actual people calling you wouldn't come to your door its the police that might.

Roussette · 30/06/2021 19:09

The actual people calling you wouldn't come to your door its the police that might

Yes they do. Someone I know was called and spoke on the phone and said he was home. And they said... in that case can you come out of your front door so we can see you. And they were parked in the road.

crayray · 30/06/2021 19:09

It all just seems rather OTT. I understand calling once or twice to make sure he knows the rules. Every day??

OP posts:
Athinginitself · 30/06/2021 19:12

It seems so hit and miss, when DP was positive I got a text but nothing else, not a single call, he got a couple of phone calls.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 30/06/2021 19:14

@Roussette

The actual people calling you wouldn't come to your door its the police that might

Yes they do. Someone I know was called and spoke on the phone and said he was home. And they said... in that case can you come out of your front door so we can see you. And they were parked in the road.

Same. My brother returned from abroad a few days ago (work related) and has had a visit from Test and Trace.
crayray · 30/06/2021 19:14

@Roussette

The actual people calling you wouldn't come to your door its the police that might

Yes they do. Someone I know was called and spoke on the phone and said he was home. And they said... in that case can you come out of your front door so we can see you. And they were parked in the road.

You're right: www.gov.uk/guidance/self-isolation-compliance-checks-after-international-travel
OP posts:
crayray · 30/06/2021 19:15

The thing is I can almost understand one visit to the house. But a call each day for 10 days to go over the same script just seems pointless in the extreme.

OP posts:
MargaretThatcherMilkSnatcher · 30/06/2021 19:19

When we tested positive for Covid a few months ago, Test & Trace phoned every single day for 10 days straight. What was truly ridiculous was that, as they had my phone number as the contact number for both my children as well as me, they would call me three times in the same morning and leave very stroppy messages when I was engaged because I was already on the phone to one of their colleagues. Apparently their system can't recognise that one person is the contact for the children as well, and you get a call for each person individually. I asked the people on the phone if they could just tick a box to say that they had already spoken to me on behalf of DCs and they said they couldn't; they had to phone again. What waste of time and money.

And when I said I was a bit too busy to speak right now and couldn't spend 15 minutes running through the daily MASSIVE list of symptoms (hardly any of which are listed on the NHS website!) because it was 8am, everyone in the house had Covid, I was trying to look after everyone and get started on work (from home) whilst not feeling too great - they told me that they would have to mark me as "refusing to cooperate." I just laughed in the end.

Autumnchill · 30/06/2021 19:22

I tested positive, had the call every day and the day before 'release' had a very polite couple come to the door to check if I needed any help with shopping, prescriptions etc. Obvious they're checking I'm in but they've got a job to do so I showed my face, assured them I was ok and off they went

crayray · 30/06/2021 19:25

@MargaretThatcherMilkSnatcher

When we tested positive for Covid a few months ago, Test & Trace phoned every single day for 10 days straight. What was truly ridiculous was that, as they had my phone number as the contact number for both my children as well as me, they would call me three times in the same morning and leave very stroppy messages when I was engaged because I was already on the phone to one of their colleagues. Apparently their system can't recognise that one person is the contact for the children as well, and you get a call for each person individually. I asked the people on the phone if they could just tick a box to say that they had already spoken to me on behalf of DCs and they said they couldn't; they had to phone again. What waste of time and money.

And when I said I was a bit too busy to speak right now and couldn't spend 15 minutes running through the daily MASSIVE list of symptoms (hardly any of which are listed on the NHS website!) because it was 8am, everyone in the house had Covid, I was trying to look after everyone and get started on work (from home) whilst not feeling too great - they told me that they would have to mark me as "refusing to cooperate." I just laughed in the end.

That's ludicrous 😂
OP posts:
EditedbySKSS · 30/06/2021 19:26

My neighbour had to isolate having caught it last year not long after giving birth. She didn’t leave the house but did get fed up of the calls so told them she was blocking the number or red buttoning future calls. She did and no one called to her house.

trackandtracedebacle · 30/06/2021 19:33

When my husband tested positive, track and trace called us every day for 14 days 4 times daily (we have 2 DC).
The first call would be at 8am. My husband was admitted to A& E and then directly taken to ITU on Day 7 and was ventilated on day 10. He was ventilated and in an induced coma for the next 10 weeks but there was no let up from Track and Trace phonecalls throughout this period.
What was the most unimaginable trauma for us was compounded by T & T. I can't tell you how many times I asked for the phonecalls to stop and the systems to be updated.
I complained and complained and complained but their inadequate system was never updated, until I blew a gasket at the last call handler.

MargaretThatcherMilkSnatcher · 30/06/2021 19:37

@trackandtracedebacle

When my husband tested positive, track and trace called us every day for 14 days 4 times daily (we have 2 DC). The first call would be at 8am. My husband was admitted to A& E and then directly taken to ITU on Day 7 and was ventilated on day 10. He was ventilated and in an induced coma for the next 10 weeks but there was no let up from Track and Trace phonecalls throughout this period. What was the most unimaginable trauma for us was compounded by T & T. I can't tell you how many times I asked for the phonecalls to stop and the systems to be updated. I complained and complained and complained but their inadequate system was never updated, until I blew a gasket at the last call handler.
I'm so sorry you went through that. How is your husband now? Have you had an apology from anyone?

We had similar, although my husband only ended up in hospital for a short period of time but the buggers still kept calling. Where the fuck do they think you're going to GO if you're so ill that you've been hospitalised?!

crayray · 30/06/2021 19:51

@trackandtracedebacle

When my husband tested positive, track and trace called us every day for 14 days 4 times daily (we have 2 DC). The first call would be at 8am. My husband was admitted to A& E and then directly taken to ITU on Day 7 and was ventilated on day 10. He was ventilated and in an induced coma for the next 10 weeks but there was no let up from Track and Trace phonecalls throughout this period. What was the most unimaginable trauma for us was compounded by T & T. I can't tell you how many times I asked for the phonecalls to stop and the systems to be updated. I complained and complained and complained but their inadequate system was never updated, until I blew a gasket at the last call handler.
That's just awful. I hope your husband is recovering now 💐
OP posts:
Justa47 · 30/06/2021 19:53

@crayray

Yes they call every day.

Bonkerz · 30/06/2021 19:55

T&T are a nightmare with no real reason.
Me and 3 kids. All got covid. Obviously all registered for tests and kids don't have phones so out my number.
4 of us. 4 calls a day. All same. For 10 days. Sometimes it was 2/3 times per name per day. I've deleted the app. Completely pointless.

Hadalifeonce · 30/06/2021 19:57

I have missed 2 calls today, I gave my landline as primary number as I'm not permanently attached to my mobile, but they have only called on my mobile thus far. Not sure if they have a set number of missed calls before they come knocking.

Lovelydovey · 30/06/2021 19:59

@trackandtracedebacle

I’m so sorry to hear about your experiences with T&T. They mirror what happened with my DM.

My DM was admitted to hospital with covid. I isolated without being contacted by T&T as I knew I was a contact.

When I went into her house after my isolation I was gobsmacked at the number of messages left on her answerphone - multiple per day. She was in hospital and couldn’t fucking answer them.

I also discovered after she has passed away that they had been harassing her on her mobile too. Even when she was in ICU. Multiple times per day. She was too unwell to speak to them.

At what point should they use their common sense and stop calling? Presumably at the point they realise that her most recent positive PCR test was done in hospital?!

cptartapp · 30/06/2021 20:00

DS 18 was called maybe every three days, but often at 8.30'am when he was fast asleep. So that went down well.
There was nothing really to stop him going out and about for the day after each call. Or for his brother to take the call 'on his behalf' as it were.
Not that he did.

Cuzco · 30/06/2021 20:03

We're just back from an Amber country. Someone came to the house to check on DH on day 1 (but not on me!) and I had a call on day 1 and day 3. We've both missed about three calls each due to being on work calls and looking after the children, which we predicted and is why I asked for text contact, but they don't seem able to do text contact.
There doesn't seem to be any fallout (so far) from missing calls, so I'm tempted not to answer any more, even when I could get to the phone.

ShowOfHands · 30/06/2021 20:09

My dd had covid last summer and test and trace called us every day of the 14 day isolation. In fact they phoned me AND DH every day, so 28 calls. Then ds came down with it a few days after dd left isolation and we had 2 calls a day for another 14 days. So 56 calls in total.

ButterflyBitch · 30/06/2021 20:11

When my family had covid, we were called multiple times a day as we all tested positive and they had to call separately for all of us. When you feel like you have the flu but also have to look after/attempt to homeschool two kids who felt fine it was horrible. It was call after call after call. We stopped answering and I had about 20-30 missed calls every day for the whole isolation period. When you feel like shit it’s bloody outrageous.

Doubledoorsontogarden · 30/06/2021 20:23

It’s an Amber country. Why did he travel. I’m glad that track and trace do this. Equally I’m glad
That the government contact covid positive people

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