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Covid

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Original poster

Positive test prior to return to England from abroad

38 replies

itsgood2talk · 13/07/2021 19:01

Hi, we are due to go to the canaries(gran canaria) in September but I am worried about having to do a test prior to return to the Uk and what happens if you test positive. Would you have to isolate in the country? How do they enforce this? Is it a quarantine type hotel? I've looked endlessly online but can't find anything that says what happens just that a test is required before home travel. Does anyone know that could advise?Thanks

OP posts:

LemonTT · 13/07/2021 19:22

You stay put and tell the accommodation provider, airline and insurance. Seek help from local authorities, if that fails the consulate, if that fails the daily mail.

It is a risk you will have to manage and factor into your plans, or hope for the best.

AlexaShutUp · 13/07/2021 19:24

This is why I'm not going abroad this year!

Original poster

itsgood2talk · 13/07/2021 19:26

@LemonTT

You stay put and tell the accommodation provider, airline and insurance. Seek help from local authorities, if that fails the consulate, if that fails the daily mail.

It is a risk you will have to manage and factor into your plans, or hope for the best.

Oh gosh this is what I'm afraid off. Thinking it's maybe not worth the stress 😭

OP posts:

Bitofachinwag · 13/07/2021 19:29

And then you can't travel back until you test negative, which can take weeks apparently.

Lindy2 · 13/07/2021 19:32

It could be very difficult and costly. That's why it's really not at all advisable to travel abroad during a global pandemic. Had you not thought about that until now?

Original poster

itsgood2talk · 13/07/2021 19:35

@Lindy2

It could be very difficult and costly. That's why it's really not at all advisable to travel abroad during a global pandemic. Had you not thought about that until now?

Yeah I knew it was a risk but we've only paid a small deposit and full amount not due until 3 weeks before so if nothing changes then I will just cancel

OP posts:

gonow · 13/07/2021 19:40

Too stressful to even consider. Unless you've no work or commitments back in the UK and can potentially stay abroad for several extra weeks

ElArco · 13/07/2021 19:48

That's what has stopped us booking to go too. I was once stuck in Minorca when my baby had chicken pox, awful!
The heat, lack of help, issues with medicines and language, one of my little ones only wanted certain foods, transport to the clinic...you name it. My DH had to fly home as the insurance wouldn't cover him to stay with me. ( tho with COVID that won't happen)

I just wanted to be at home.

jonkersdeplonkers · 13/07/2021 21:51

It's not the only thing that's putting me off going abroad this year, but it's one of the main things. You would be stuck, it would not be fun.

isthisouting · 13/07/2021 21:54

@AlexaShutUp

This is why I'm not going abroad this year!

Snap, we ended up losing our deposit despite country being on green list.

MikeHat · 13/07/2021 21:56

On local tv tonight, a group of youngsters on holiday in Majorca together. One tested positive on the pre flight test and the authorities basically confined them all to one hotel room for isolation. Then not surprisingly a 2nd one tested positive. Now they have been separated into individual rooms but still not allowed to fly home.

MonsterKidz · 13/07/2021 21:57

This definitely is why I won’t be travelling this summer. I don’t know exactly what would happy to answer your specific question, but I am sure it would be inconvenient, costly, stressful and at the absolute worst being ill in another country is just
too much risk for me to consider:

Mindymomo · 14/07/2021 06:50

You really need to find out if your travel insurance would pay for the extra nights needed in hotel, plus costs of repeated PCR tests and costs of rearranged flights, not only for you but also for your travel companions.

Remmy123 · 14/07/2021 07:11

Rates are much much lower in most other countries than the U.K.!

Bitofachinwag · 14/07/2021 07:18

@Remmy123

Rates are much much lower in most other countries than the U.K.!

Or at least they appear lower. Lots of countries don't test asmuch as in the uk.

Honey12346 · 14/07/2021 07:19

You can get travel insurance that will pay for the cost of isolating etc. Google it

LemonTT · 14/07/2021 15:23

There’s isolating at home in your house or flat with access to local delivery services . There’s isolating in a nice holiday home with most of the convenience of a house or flat but maybe no delivery services. Then there’s isolating in a hotel room, although presumable you can get room service.

Indigopearl · 14/07/2021 15:35

@Remmy123

Rates are much much lower in most other countries than the U.K.!

Rates will start increasing fast in most of Europe soon as delta spreads. I wouldn't risk it this summer.

rookiemere · 14/07/2021 16:21

Rates may be lower in other countries but you still need to get on the plane to fly there.

My insurance says they will pay a daily rate in this scenario but it's just too much risk for me to take to go in those circumstances.

ElArco · 14/07/2021 19:49

Rates are rising rapidly in Spain.

cannotchange · 14/07/2021 22:53

I have said this on another thread, but I only came to this realisation a few days ago and a lot of people I have spoken haven't even realised that you could be stranded abroad with all the stress and expense until you get a negative test. Then someone else in your party tests positive and so on.

The guidance on this is hard to find, but it does state even if you are an English National and have been vaccinated you will not be allowed to enter the UK without a negative test.

So you have the stress of that hanging over you the whole holiday, why would anyone do that ? This scenario IMO is worse than having to isolate for 10 days when you get home and this is what has pissed me off about the government removing the need to isolate but at the same time NOT clearly communicating about the negative test scenario.

Summersdreaming · 14/07/2021 23:12

I'm due to go to Greece next month, currently have covid, will be over 30 days post positive test when we go. Does anyone know if that will exempt me from the testing in case it still shows positive from this infection?

PlumpCushion · 15/07/2021 06:23

@Summersdreaming in your situation I would get the whole family to do several lateral flow tests and at least one PCR test each before going. We are going to do similar actually.

PlumpCushion · 15/07/2021 06:24

Just to be sure there is no lingering virus.

rookiemere · 15/07/2021 07:14

Exactly @cannotchange and with UK rates so high, there is a chance you - or anyone in your holiday party- could catch it before you go and then test positive for the pre fly lateral flow test. Or test positive due to being infected up to 60 days ago.

Great for those who don't who can gloat about their holidays abroad - and goodness knows I am jealous- but I'll have limited sympathy for those who do get stuck in a foreign country because they decided to go for the gamble.

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