New rules- whole 10 days?

[Lineeyesoverhere]

So it’s happened- DH has done a regular LFT and got a faint line. Toddler
Has woken up with a cold so we’re all off for a PCR later this morning. Given that we’re isolating for 10 days now (can’t see DH’s being a false positive, his back also hurts), once the 16th comes around will that mean we can follow the new rules and if we don’t test positive, we can get some freedom a little sooner? Or is it a case of the full10 days and it only applies to cases after rule change?

Isolation ends on 16th
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/a4317410-Isolating-after-16th-August?msgid=109788591#109788591

www.gov.uk/government/news/self-isolation-to-be-eased-for-fully-vaccinated-adults-in-step-4

I wonder what will happen to all those employed as track and tracers?

A friend of mine has already been stood down - quite a lot of the track and tracers have and it reverted to local people (Can't remember who)

I am wondering the same thing - had a positive yesterday and need to self isolate til 18th - plus my family.

Surely they don’t need to self isolate next week as well, given that the rules are changing? I asked the lady at test and trace who just called, and she said she hadn’t heard the rules were changing (?!) but that if they were then they wouldn’t be retrospective so my family would have to self isolate til the 18th...

:-(

@Borington we’re isolating until midnight on 19th (crossing everything that no one else gets it or else it’s even longer!)

Test and trace guy today said there’s no escaping earlier as we’re already in the system. So that means you could get a positive on 15th and then 12 hours later, when rules change, still have to go the whole ten days when others don’t. It’s all madness!!

Hopefully enough are vaccinated to make this work. Currently, if I have contact with a positive case (due to where I work), I can get petrol, use public transport, go to work if I test negative on one PCR and seven LFTs. Surely some level of testing after 16th would be advisable if only to protect people you come in regular contact with.

@Lineeyesoverhere rubbish. Big sympathy to you too. Sounds like we are both stuck then. Argh!

Feels like we are being caught by the final throes of this wave, although we haven’t had any bubbles burst at the kids school all year so I should really count my lucky stars

Interesting T&T say you need to keep isolating. This link says the opposite!

www.hilldickinson.com/insights/articles/covid-19-self-isolation-faqs-16-august-2021

Or do they mean your DH and toddler need to continue to isolate? Hope they are both doing ok.

@ifonly4

Hopefully enough are vaccinated to make this work. Currently, if I have contact with a positive case (due to where I work), I can get petrol, use public transport, go to work if I test negative on one PCR and seven LFTs. Surely some level of testing after 16th would be advisable if only to protect people you come in regular contact with.

There isn't enough PCR testing capacity to provide everyone contacted by T&T as a close contact with a PCR test. Only LFT and the government aren't going to pretend that carries any credibility.

I think the government want those who are double vaccinated to be free to treat Covid like a cold or at worst bad flu and those who have decided not to accept the vaccine to take their chances and live with the consequences (and those who are CEV to stay at home until it's all over).

I hope sixth formers who are double vaccinated get the same rights as all double vaccinated people. And over 12s denied access to the vaccine approved for their use and available to everyone else in the EU and US not have to self isolate either individually or en masse due to a case in their year. The government and JCVI can't have it both ways any more. No more treating students as second class citizens.

Apart from the CEV, in this situation I feel most sorry for those who have to treat the Covid patients in hospital who will largely have taken their risks with the vaccine and be double-jabbed since last winter/spring but still be exposed to huge viral loads every day from Covid patients, at least half of who refused the vaccine on non-medical grounds. Plus the accompanying risks of acquiring new variants bred in those on-going Covid patients (and their not-so-perfect immune systems). Those hospital staff then have to go home covered in virus and expose their families to this virus.

not-so-perfect immune systems that is those who 'trust their immune systems' and still turn up at hospital happy to accept all the drugs (without needing to examine all the data themselves) and mechanical ventilation (not the CEV, who are blameless and shamefully overlooked in this new stage of the pandemic)

The T & T lady I spoke to today said yes any existing isolations have to be completed but any contacts after 16th won't count.

@LemonCake79 yes I’d found that link too. Not sure whether it’s right or not though. The government website itself is not clear unfortunately. Test and trace were unconvincing on my call!

Isolation only ends on the 16th for those who are more than 2 weeks post 2nd vaccination or under 18. Everyone else should still be isolating.
Personally think it’s going to be a bit of a disaster, especially when schools go back. Hope I’m wrong

Where I live all rules dropped on 26th June - so 6 weeks ago. No masks or social distancing.

Only those who’ve tested positive on PCR need to isolate. All other family members can go about their business to work or school unless they show symptoms.

LFT are advised but not necessary.

No track or trace is being done.

Some people don’t do LFT because they feel fine.

The government decided quite quickly that any covid precautions is down to the individual and they can do x y z if they want to - that’s aid they didn’t give businesses much time to sort themselves out - for example DH work insist positive cases at home = work from home or stay home - they continue to pay those isolating
DD work insist on PCR tests and pay as they await tests and pay sick pay if they isolate.
Some companies are struggling as Covid rips through their businesses, some are closed due to lack of staff or they do extra cleaning. Some are closing if they have cases at home.

Schools tests in 4 weeks. This will be the real test for pupils and staff.

I feel the government has held our children hostage whilst the elderly get vaccinated- and now the children are being thrown to the wolves!!

The actual legislation 'The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Self-Isolation) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2021' says the following:

(9) After regulation 18, insert—

“Transitional provision
19. Where—

(a)a person (“Y”)—
(i)satisfies the conditions in regulation 2B(6)(a), (b) or (c), or is a child, and
(ii)is subject to the self-isolation requirement in regulation 2B(2) or (3) immediately before 16th August 2021, and
(b)Y’s period of self-isolation would, apart from this regulation, continue beyond that date,
the period of self-isolation for Y comes to an end at the beginning of 16th August 2021.”.

Legally, unless the govt amends this act again before the 16th, anyone currently isolating who would otherwise not have to isolate can stop immediately. T&T are talking bollocks.

I doubt most T&T have any clue what is happening after the 16th and are just saying what they think when people ask, their job is to just ring people up and read from a script. People need to take notice of what the actual legislation says

Thank you @ColettesEarrings for posting the legislation

I should add that this is contact isolation only, if you are positive yourself you must still isolate as instructed. Full amendments here www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2021/851/contents
Original legislation here
www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/1045/contents

@trumpisagit

Isn't it different for people who live in your household, as opposed to close contacts? I thought household still had to isolate after 16th. If not its madness.

I thought the same - I thought household contacts still isolated as normal, but close contacts didn't have to isolate. Is there proper official guidance anywhere? It's so hard to get a clear understanding of what's going on!

@zaffa

I've linked it directly above. Household or otherwise doesn't matter. If you are overt 18 and 14 days double jabbed or under 18, you do not have to isolate as a contact.

Thanks so much @ColettesEarrings for posting the legislation. That looks very clear to me. @User7458 I think you are right - T and T not providing useful advice here! And in fact the email you get from them telling you to self isolate is also misleading as well.

I’ll try and use the legislation to get the kids back into the summer activities we booked them into for next week and report back.

My employer (civil service dept) 🤷🏻‍♀️is following the T & T line- that we are not allowed back into work until our full isolation has completed.

Maybe some clearer guidance will be issued over the weekend.

Thanks for posting the legislation, it's crystal clear.

[quote LemonCake79]Interesting T&T say you need to keep isolating. This link says the opposite!

www.hilldickinson.com/insights/articles/covid-19-self-isolation-faqs-16-august-2021[/quote]
Legislation makes it clear that you don’t need to
Self isolate post 16 August if at the date of being a close contact you have been vaccinated for 14 days. This does not seem to have been filtered down to Test and Trace. See the Transitional Provision:
www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2021/851/regulation/2/made