FFS Been pinged & were due to go on holiday tomorrow

[TheWindOnTheMoon]

Well that's it then. We have to cancel our holiday. This year feels like I have been cursed. I've had two eye operations to stop me going blind, and now this.

DH & I have been doubly vaccinated but the DC are too young.

Aaaaaarrrrggghhh

@JustJustWhy

You know what? I think you’re right and I have been an advocate for being as careful as possible.

But I have to been restaurants where they insisted on us checking in.

Just go if you all test negative. I don't even know anyone who hasn't deleted the app.

I got asked to isolate from a check in, only place I’d been for a couple days either side of the start date, and it wasn’t close contact as the positive case was there about 5 hours after I’d left.

Just go. Delete the bloody app....

I’ve been pathologically following the rules but even I am over it now. I’m double jabbed and have deleted the app.

Take a LFT and go on your holiday.

So have you decided op, what you are going to do?

Can you work out when the contact was? If it’s the supermarket, ignore it.
I work in a hospital and we have signs up telling us to turn the app off in work/ when wearing a mask as contacts won’t be close due to ppe. The same should apply to you being in the supermarket.

The government use daily lft to continue daily work, even when a confirmed close contact via test and trace.
This whole system ends in a week and a bit if you are 2x vaccinated.
I am a rule following, careful person. In your shoes, I’d just go. Daily tests, be careful about where you go, ensure mask wearing, but I’d definitely go.

Last year everyone was complaining that the app development was too slow. Now it's here and working, people are deleting it

‘Working’ is really not an accurate description. Apparently I checked in to have my eyelashes done at 11am and left at midnight. 🤷‍♀️

@musicalfrog

I couldn't cancel a holiday for this.

OP the vulnerable are vaccinated. Just go.

Vulnerable children aren’t.

Do you know if "the vulnerable " in OP's holiday destination have been vaccinated?

Not only that, some of the most immune suppressed can't have the vaccine or it doesn't work for them.

Comments in test code don't mean it doesn't work - developers commonly leave comments like that to be removed after testing if no problem is found.

Its proximity based, its not perfect, its more of a guideline around risk than absolute which is why its advisory and not mandatory.

The reason so many people are being pinged is because there is a high level of infection. We managed to get through first and second wave with very few staff infected and mostly working from home. For the last couple of months they have been going down like flies as some return to workplaces, public transport is once again over crowded and mask wearing/basic precautions seem to have disappeared in most places. That isn't the app's fault, it is simply reflecting high infection levels in the population.

OP: the app should tell you which day you need to worry about. Track your movements back for that day to see where you were. If you were not in close contact with another human for more than the length of a sales transaction then you are probably fine - use lateral flows to check daily for a few days.

I actually can’t believe the amount of people saying to ignore it! I was pinged at the weekend and I’m self isolating, meaning I can’t work so I’ve no income.

If you don’t want another lock down you need to abide by the rules

Check the app for the encounter date - mine was a day I hadn't even got out of the car (school run with teens, parked near some shops) so I ignored it.

I have followed the rules all the way through up until now but wouldn't cancel a holiday for this. You're not legally obliged to isolate.

@AngelDelightUk

I actually can’t believe the amount of people saying to ignore it! I was pinged at the weekend and I’m self isolating, meaning I can’t work so I’ve no income.

If you don’t want another lock down you need to abide by the rules

The app isn't legally binding to isolate. There is no 'rule' here that she must follow. You aren't even required to have the app!

@AngelDelightUk

I actually can’t believe the amount of people saying to ignore it! I was pinged at the weekend and I’m self isolating, meaning I can’t work so I’ve no income.

If you don’t want another lock down you need to abide by the rules

You mean the non-existent legal requirement to isolate if pinged by the app?

Nope.

Delete the app and go. What kind of holiday is it? Could you try to stay outside as much as possible? Wear a mask when you have to be inside and take a lf test each morning. It’s very unlikely you have it or you’re a carrier and it would be a shame to spoil your holiday.

I can't believe people still don't know that the app is advisory.

Even the government have admitted this when it all went crazy a few weeks ago and have tried to adapt the technology to make it less sensitive.

Honestly you are fine. It simply means at some point you've walked past someone who has reported a positive test.

Not a close contact - just been in contact.

Get LFT if it makes you feel better and go on holiday.

So many thousands (poss millions) have cancelled the app now due to the effects and could have passed a positive person without even knowing it.

Whilst numbers are dropping as they are I wouldn't be concerned.

Nothing new to add, but I agree with what’s been said - check the app for your likely expose - delete app - take lft - go on holiday if it’s negative (take lft with you so can check when away).

@AngelDelightUk did you check the app to work out when you were exposed? I’ve heard too many cases of people being pinged when they weren’t near anyone to trust the app - especially if it meant a loss of income!

@AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair

I think some had the app to get into places, of course you don't have to do that now and they probably forgot to delete it. I downloaded the app at the start, saw it wasn't fit for purpose and deleted immediately

I really don't understand how after all this time the message hasn't got through that checking into places and having the Bluetooth singing aspect of the app are two totally separate things

How was it not fit for purpose for checking in? I've heard lots of complaints about the Bluetooth detection but none about the check in part. I know we don't have to do it now but I thought that worked pretty wel

You don't have to isolate OP, it's up to you and probably depends on the type of holiday you have planned

Totally.

I had to switch off the Bluetooth at work due to work rules (education).

I always forgot to switch it on for visiting supermarket etc and haven't had it on for months.

However I did scan into places as requested because I'd be sat next to people for longer periods of time and the risk was increased.

I still have the app with Bluetooth turned off. Because if I go somewhere extremely busy I want the choice to switch it on or not.

So far I never have! Both ds and I are fully vaccinated and I LFT twice a week for work and also before I do any officiating at swimming events.

A few weeks ago as the swimming season ended I was LFT testing 5 times a week sometimes!

If you've left the app and contact tracing switched on in the run up to your holiday then you knew this could happen and did it anyway.. you must have heard about the "pingdemic" (stupid word 🙄)

I suspect there are quite a few of us 'oldies' who have a mobile phone, but NOT a smartphone, therefore we don't have the app, therefore we can't get pinged.

My DH and I continue to just behave sensibly , still avoiding crowds as much as possible and still wearing masks . We may have been in close contact with a carrier, but we'll never know! We will just carry on with our lives as normally as possible.
I would suggest carrying on with your holiday and avoiding anywhere too crowded .
In our case (unavoidable) ignorance is bliss.

Do as almost everyone else says and delete the app and enjoy your holiday (assuming neg test). Anecdotally I don't even know of a soul who has tested positive after being T&T after being a known close contact outwith their household (many within too), let alone after an app ping.

Just do the nhs LFT/antigen test on everyone going on the holiday. Do it twice if you want to double check.
If they’re all negative, just go on holiday. There is no legal requirement for you to isolate. And delete the app!
I say this as I am sitting on holiday in Greece and I spoke to a couple earlier this week in the same situation as you find yourself who did exactly that.

Just go!!!