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Original poster

Pinged by app while on holiday what to do

153 replies

YellowSunshineSky · 26/07/2021 12:23

I'm with DH and kids. We're currently staying with DHs mum (arrived yesterday). Due to go and stay in a cottage near my mum tomorrow so we can visit her.

Then due to go on a holiday on way back on the 30th with a DC from another family joining us.

Just had a notification from the app saying I've been in contact with someone who's tested positive and to isolate until the 31st.

I've not been in close contact with anyone, just been in services to the loo yesterday on way up and in a shop this morning. Both times I stayed well away from people.

DH is out with his mum and so I can't yet discuss with him.

What would you do in this situation? My options are:

  • Give up on holiday and go home, go to other bit of holiday on 31st
  • Go to first cottage tomorrow but isolate there (do the rest of my family isolate too or just me as I got pinged?)
  • Ignore the app as I haven't been in close contact with anyone

We have LFT tests with us but they're in the car with DH. All four of us tested negative yesterday morning on those.

OP posts:
WaterBottle123 · 26/07/2021 14:23

Delete the stupid app.

Ontheblink · 26/07/2021 14:24

Definitely delete the app! I hope you have a lovely time on holiday🤗

FrostyGotFurloughed · 26/07/2021 14:31

Another ignore do lft test negative crack on !! Life needs to start going on!!!

MrsAldoKane · 26/07/2021 14:37

@selflove

DELETE THE APP

It's not legally mandatory or enforceable for you to isolate - it just means your phone was within 2m of someone else's phone for 1min or more on Wednesday. If you know your risks are low and you have been double vaxxed etc, I wouldn't isolate if I didn't have symptoms.

I'd probably do daily LFTs for peace of mind though, and I'd make sure I limited all 2m contact to my own family, and if we'd planned on going to a restaurant I'd change it to an outdoor table, or eat at the cottage instead until 31st etc.

Isn't it 15 minutes? Are you sure it's changed to 1 minute?
FreeBritnee · 26/07/2021 14:37

I’d carry on.

User56439876 · 26/07/2021 14:59

You don't even need the app to get into places now so I would just delete it

NautaOcts · 26/07/2021 15:15

I’d treat it as advisory, not tell anyone and do an lft every day

NautaOcts · 26/07/2021 15:15

Unless I knew I’d been in close contact with someone

justasking111 · 26/07/2021 15:29

You're fine. Enjoy the holiday

Frazzled2207 · 26/07/2021 15:34

I’d just do daily LFTs and carry on. It’s not legally binding if just via the app.

Frazzled2207 · 26/07/2021 15:36

@YellowSunshineSky

I drove to the office.

I spoke to two receptionists through a glass screen, all of us with masks, then went straight into a meeting room with 5 others. Of those others 1 has also been pinged. 2 don't have the app. Those 3 are not positive. Still waiting to hear back from 2 others.

The other one who got pinged thinks it might be from someone in the next door meeting room.

I have heard of lots of pinging from people the other sides of walls. The Bluetooth on the app can talk through walls, covid can’t. You’re right to try and risk assess the situation but I really wouldn’t spoil a holiday for this I’d just make sure I had LFTs in.
ZenNudist · 26/07/2021 15:38

Ignore it. Go on as you were. Yes to deleting app.

daisyrain13 · 26/07/2021 15:51

Ignore it. Enjoy your holiday! Do another LFT in a day or so if you're worried

lorca · 26/07/2021 15:55

It amazes me that not only 600,000 people were 'pinged' Hmm last week, but that so many have this stupid, not-fit-for-purpose 'world-beating' app!

I never downloaded it and wouldn't take any notice of it anyway. It's not legally binding, so what's the point?

Cosybelles · 26/07/2021 16:17

@lastcall

An adjacent meeting room.... where there was zero contact.

This is yet another reason I have refused to use the app.

Same.
Topseyt · 26/07/2021 16:17

Delete the ridiculous app. It isn't even a legal obligation to have it downloaded anyway, let alone to pay any attention to the pingdemic that it is sending out willy nilly.

Ignore the ping and enjoy your holiday.

You are only legally obligated to isolate if you actually get a call from test and trace.

NotSonicTheHedgehog · 26/07/2021 16:36

I deleted the app. I guess if it was me though I’d probably figure out what I was doing on the day the exposure took place and then decide.

MyShoelaceIsUndone · 26/07/2021 17:01

Heard today that if you get a phone call from track and trace you legally have to isolate, if you’re pinged it’s recommended you isolate
It was on Loose Women

monstermissy · 26/07/2021 17:15

Cancel the cheque!!

I mean delete the app 😀

MrsFezziwig · 26/07/2021 17:26

I deleted the app after about two days when I realised how unreliable it was going to be. At that point I was only seeing a small number of people whom I knew would tell me if they tested positive.

And either it works or it doesn’t - so it’s ok not to use it if you’re a key worker of any sort, but everyone else should? That makes sense.

JustABloodyMinute · 26/07/2021 17:32

You probably want to consider what you'll do if it turns out you have been infected. Can you stay at the cottage longer than planned? Can your family?

SeeYouInFive · 26/07/2021 17:32

The app is not fit for purpose. You could be in a traffic jam or sat next to someone in a car at the traffic lights and get pinged and potentially have your whole holiday ruined for no reason.

I’ve never had the app but I made the mistake of filling out one of those slips at a restaurant. I put my tea phone number and within a week I was getting spam calls from ‘HMRC’ and ‘Amazon’ and fraudulent texts from ‘Royal Mail’ asking me to just click on this link and pay the extra postage for my parcel. Fuck off. It’s made by Hancock’s mates and it’s a data harvesting exercise which they then sell to the highest bidder.

Go on holiday and have a lovely time.

SeeYouInFive · 26/07/2021 17:33

My tea phone number?! My real phone number. I always use a fake one now.

RagzReturnsRebooted · 26/07/2021 17:37

@flumposie

Delete the app. I was sat in a class with 2 pupils who tested positive but apparently no need to isolate . This happened on numerous occasions. So I've deleted the app as it's utter bollocks when I don't need to isolate as a teacher but do once outside the school and pinged by an app.
I never got the app, for similar reasons. The only people I'm close to are my household, occasionally friends or other relatives or my patients. If the patients I've seen then test positive for have covid, the isolation doesn't apply (otherwise we'd have no health care system running!). I don't hang around near strangers (no public transport, don't really go out) so I'd be contacted by test and trace if I had any real contact and then it would likely be colleagues or friends and I'd know they had it and isolate anyway.

OP in your situation, I'd ignore it but be extra vigilant with LFTs and avoiding hugging/sitting close to vulnerable people.

The main bonus of the app notifications seem to be for public transport where you'd be quite close to people who you would not be able to contact for actual test and trace. Or possibly if you go to a lot of crowded pubs or restaurants.

Vodkalimeandice · 26/07/2021 17:39

Delete the app & go about your plans.