Test & Trace don't recognise my vaccine

[franke]

This is news to me, I was vaccinated with the Pfizer outside the UK and it doesn't count apparently. Anyway, I have to isolate till Sunday. I live in mainland Europe and have a flight home booked on Saturday. I can't stay where I am as it's a holiday cottage that we've only booked till Saturday. Ditto our hire car which must be returned on Saturday at the airport. So assuming they won't let me fly on day 9 of isolation, my options are:

1. stay in a hotel for two nights and get a flight on Monday. This costs £££ that I simply don't have.
2. travel by public transport to another part of England to stay with a relative for a couple of days and then get a cheaper flight midweek. This would suit me, but t&t say I MUST NOT use public transport.
3. try and sneak onto my scheduled flight on Saturday. It's also public transport, but quicker than a train to relative i.e. less exposure and would get me out of the NHS's hair. But I might be stopped and thrown in jail. Joking, but it could be a hassle and I really don't want to break the law.

Help.

How ridiculous! I hope you find a solution. As the jabs (breaking news to the U.K. government: exactly the same jabs as the U.K. ones ) are good enough for the airline I'd be tempted to risk the journey (and claim misunderstanding of the rules if you can't fly). Or can you extend the car hire, drop DH and the airport and go to your relative's, if they don't mind? Although then you won't be at the address on your PLF...

This is the kind of thing that puts me off visiting the U.K. - that and the absence of masks and high case numbers. DH is coming to the U.K. next week and had AZ in the EU so I will warn him not to sign up for T&T if possible (or do they get the info from your Passenger Locator Form?). I was double jabbed with Pfizer in the EEA so must be a liability too - thanks for the heads up.

You don’t sign up. They know where to find you from the plf.

Would they know if you actually just got on your flight? Is there a way they could stop you boarding? I'd definitely try to board and act dumb about the rules & act as if you're a UK citizen.

Have they asked you to take a PCR? Or can you arrange one? The rules (if you're vaccinated in the UK) is that if you've been double jabbed and identified as a close contact of a positive case, you can go about your business but you should get a PCR. You only need to isolate if you actually test positive - I'd follow that plan (assuming they can't stop you getting on the flight).

I mean act as if you're UK vaccinated.

Did you book through a company or with the owner? This company that I use regularly states that they would expect you to stay put abd pay the additional fee if told to isolate while in the property

www.holidaycottages.co.uk/coronavirus-guest-faqs

I work for t&t and someone was in a similar situation as you today, due to fly back on their last day in isolation. We're just told what to do and sent to deliver the bad news lol, it's great I had to ring someone and tell them they weren't allowed to take their kids to school or pick them up (this was at 2pm) it's not the best job I've had I must admit!

Surely this issue must be fairly common.
As lots travel to the UK its the same vaccine.
I can't believe they not sorted this out.
Have you tried ringing 119.
Hope you get it sorted.

@franke

Text and email and like a good citizen I followed their link and put in details so yes they do know.

How did they text you if the only phone access for you to contact them is a phone box?

Lots of holiday firms offer extended stays in case of isolation, what has the firm/person you booked with said about this? Have you taken out travel insurance that covers covid related issues?

I’m sorry but just go back as planned! I came over twice during summer when France was still on the Amber plus rubbish so everyone had to quarantine for 10 days. One trip was 3 days long and the other was 6 days so both under the quarantine requirement. I went back as planned both times and that was the end of that!

@JacquelineCarlyle

Why are they applying separate rules for foreign vaccinated people to those vaccinated in the UK (with the same vaccine)? That makes no sense whatsoever!

Welcome to Britain. when did anything make sense here.

Oh go back. Don’t lose money because of their illogical xenophobic nonsense policy.

We must seem very confusing to other countries.
We should have agreed on same rules for travel and vaccine passport to travel.

I think you are trusting the systems to be clever and linked when they are not. I can't imagine you will be flagged when checking in for your flight/boarding. I agree with others, feign ignorance if anyone asks - you thought it meant until Sunday ie end of Saturday

Do you have travel insurance? Can you contact them and see what they cover?

I think the expectation is you stay put, and the owners have to let you. You obviously have to pay for the extra time - which is where you travel insurance comes in! How they appease the guests who can't then access the cottage is up to the owner, but they must have a plan in place for this eventuality.

It does sound like a complete fuck up though, why your vaccine isn't recognised is anyone's guess - like so much else with covid, decisions being made by people with no idea how life actually works for the majority of people.

@Lostinacloud I think the difference is that when we came over from amber list countries we just had to isolate as a matter of course and we could leave at any time as long as we went directly, not pottering about on the way to the airport. Whereas my current situation is because I've had contact with someone who has actual covid, so I'm legally obliged to stay put for 10 days.

How did they text you if the only phone access for you to contact them is a phone box?

I can get emails where I am and the text appeared once I was somewhere with phone coverage. Or perhaps I've imagined it all 🤔 that would be handy.

Also I can't call 119 or any other t&t number with my forrin 'phone even when I do get a signal.

119 is for booking tests/ test results I don't think they would be able to help you. There must be a local number you can ring, was there anything in the text message?

Oh sorry just saw you can't ring

It’s All nonsense to be honest. Specially if the contact happened on a plane where you most likely were wearing a face mask. So more protection that I.e when vaccinated British dad tests positive and vaccinated British mum is allowed to go to work.