What happens if you test positive on holiday and can't fly home?

[Kittenss]

We have a week in Greece that we booked in 2019 and moved to this August. I am worried about rates going up and the risk of catching covid on the plane or at the hotel.

What happens if one of us were to test positive? We obviously wouldn't be able to fly home and would have to quarantine for 10 days but what if the covid test was still positive after that? Or what if one member of the family catches it on, say, day 7 of the quarantine. Does this mean we could be quarantining for weeks on end if we all catch it one after the other and have to wait until we all have negative tests? I can't find the answer to this anywhere online.

I really need this holiday as have had the year from hell and all of the UK holidays are booked up so I'm really keen to go but not sure if I will spend the whole time anxious about testing/getting home!

I would be worried about travel insurance - what if someone actually got really ill, would the insurance cover that for covid, especially as it's a possible risk before you go? - maybe they will?

It's possible your insurance would pay for the extra time you would need to stay there during quarantine but I wouldn't bet on it, so double check the small print!

If it was me, I wouldn't risk it and I'd try to find another option in the UK (I've also had a really shitty year, after losing a baby at 19 weeks last year, big issues with my husband's job, not knowing anyone in a foreign country and not being able to see any of my family since Feb 20, it's been incredibly hard and isolating during lockdown and now due to rising numbers in the UK we're unlikely to see our families until 2022. We found some Airbnbs to visit and have been camping. It's absolutely not what I would have preferred to do but it was definitely better than being in the same flat staring at the same 4 walls the whole time).

I don't think the reality of this has occurred to many people - we all thought it was great news when the 10 day isolation period was lifted, but going abroad on holiday is still pointless if there is a very real risk that you may be stranded abroad with all the inconvenience and massive cost.

I have Staysure insurance. It seems pretty good from a covid perspective, but even at that it states that if you end up staying on in a country because of Covid they will pay a daily allowance. No idea how much that would be or how long it would run for.

Insurers are used to covering unlikely but quantifiable risks. This is different and I can totally see why they can't provide an open cheque book. I think the numbers of people in this situation will grow quickly until BG has to do something about it, which will be annoying for those of us who have decided to take a cautious approach .

Do people not realise that you take this risk everytime you travel abroad? There is always the risk that you will have an accident or be taken ill and not be able to travel back on your arranged flight.

When we were in Canada 15 years ago, our 16 year old son had a burst appendix and was rushed into hospital to have his appendix removed. We had 2 younger children with us. We had to make all kinds of alternative arrangements. I know it's not exactly the same situation but the fact is that we usually take holidays abroad without giving these 'risks' a second thought. Unfortunately now we have all become so focussed on the fear and the 'what ifs' that we are looking for 100% certainty and safety.

It doesn't exist and it never has done

@99victoria I think the difference though is what happened on your trip could not have been predicted.

I live in Scotland and I think our local infection rate is around 1 per 100 people. So logically if 100 people get on a plane someone's bound to have it ( as even if vaccinated can still catch it) so chances then of further people on the plane catching it and getting a positive 3 days to return test. Well your odds are probably about 1 in 20 I'd imagine. Then your whole family is plunged into some dystopian nightmare. Fun.

@rookiemere
We have just come back from Greece. We are double-vaccinated but we also took a LFT the night before we flew. When we arrived in Greece, everyone on the plane was tested (those who weren't double-jabbed also had to have a Fit to Fly test before they were allowed to board). We were then tested again 6 days later before we were allowed on board the flight home. Everyone has to undertake these tests so the chances of people on the plane having the virus is significantly less than the odds among the general population you have quoted

Greece have just introduced a rule that unvaccinated aren't allowed into bars or restaurants. Not sure if that applies to under 12 so hopefully you won't be affected.

Do people not realise that you take this risk everytime you travel abroad? There is always the risk that you will have an accident or be taken ill and not be able to travel back on your arranged flight.

Yes, many people realise this risk - which is why they obtain travel insurance to cover a change in travel plans.

The difference is that regular accidents and illnesses on holiday don't generally result in a government-mandated isolation/ quarantine, or being forcibly detained by the authorities /refused permission to leave that country until you return a negative result.

@99victoria

Do people not realise that you take this risk everytime you travel abroad? There is always the risk that you will have an accident or be taken ill and not be able to travel back on your arranged flight.

When we were in Canada 15 years ago, our 16 year old son had a burst appendix and was rushed into hospital to have his appendix removed. We had 2 younger children with us. We had to make all kinds of alternative arrangements. I know it's not exactly the same situation but the fact is that we usually take holidays abroad without giving these 'risks' a second thought. Unfortunately now we have all become so focussed on the fear and the 'what ifs' that we are looking for 100% certainty and safety.

It doesn't exist and it never has done

Of course, but you don't normally have to do a diagnostic test before returning home just to see if you've caught any diseases during your holiday.