Travelling help please

[bluelikeyou]

Hey all,

I am travelling NZ to London with family. One of our family members is unvaccinated.

With the new rules announced yesterday, we need clarification which I cannot find on the GOV website. If you travel with an unvaccinated person and self isolate whilst awaiting day 2 tests together, do we have to consider ourselves unvaccinated and wait for the 10 days like they need to? Do they need to self isolate elsewhere and that will allow us to be freed after day 2 if negative?

This person is not a child btw. This is causing a huge amount of stress and they can't find the information anywhere to advise us!

Thanks so much

You all need to isolate (due to Omicron) but the vaccinated now do not need Day 2 tests. You can just go to your accomodation.

The unvaccinated however have to do the Day 2 and 8 tests with full isolation (10 days).

Sorry I am still not clear - we are meant to be staying in the same place.

Are you saying that the unvaccinated person needs to be away from us for 10 days and we can isolate for 2 days and then get on with lives (assuming negative). Hotels like Premier Inn are not accepting 10 day self isolating people so we have no idea where to put them. We don't have a house here, we were planning on staying with friends but if the unvaccinated needs their own accommodation then its more complicated.

I know it's their issue but I said I would try and get clarity for them.

www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-to-england-from-another-country-during-coronavirus-covid-19

Vaccinated still need a day 2 test but can be LFT rather than PCR

Unvaccinated isolate for 10 days and take PCR tests on day 2 and 8.

www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-quarantine-when-you-arrive-in-england This tells you about quarantining in England

Thank you, I have read all of this but I dont think I am being clear with my question sorry!

Can we self isolate as a family? If our day 2 Lateral Flow tests are negative, can we carry on whilst unvaccinated stays in accomodation? OR does the unvaccinated person need to be completely separate from us for the whole 10 days?

They might be able to do a Test to Release on day 5. Maybe check that

Sounds like the unvaccinated person is supposed to stay apart from everyone.

@bluelikeyou

Sorry I am still not clear - we are meant to be staying in the same place.

Are you saying that the unvaccinated person needs to be away from us for 10 days and we can isolate for 2 days and then get on with lives (assuming negative). Hotels like Premier Inn are not accepting 10 day self isolating people so we have no idea where to put them. We don't have a house here, we were planning on staying with friends but if the unvaccinated needs their own accommodation then its more complicated.

I know it's their issue but I said I would try and get clarity for them.

Scenarios like this is what makes things messy.

You can all stay in the same accomodation.

The unvaccinated person has to stay in the accomodation for 10 days in self-isolation. With Day 2 and 8 PCr tests.

The vaccinated only needs an LFT (Day 2) not PCR and you can come and go.

BUT

And here is were it gets messy.

If the unvaccinated tests positive either on Day 2 or Day 8 PCr, EVERYBODY in the close contact list (so your household) has to self-isolate for 7-10 days (until LFTs at Days 6/7 are negative for vaccinated + PCr is negative at Day 10 for unvaccinated).

Yes that's how I read it too! They can sort it out and the rest of us will carry on. I think we will do the test to release as we will have to look after their child while they self isolate.

www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-test-to-release-for-international-travel This is test to release info

@BambinaJAS

Thank you, that makes sense. I am not sure being in the same accomodation as them is a good idea if that is the risk. It's such a nightmare!

I am also assuming that self isolation means confined to a room and not allowed contact with us. Obviously but people have a funny definition here in NZ

Quarantining safely

As soon as you arrive at your place of quarantine you should, as far as possible,avoid contact with other people in the place where you’re quarantiningtoreduce the risk of spreading COVID-19.

You should stay in a well ventilated room with an outside window that can be opened, separate from other people in your home.

If you’re staying in a hotel or guest house, you must stay away from others who did not travel with you. You must not use shared areas such as bars, restaurants, health clubs and sports facilities.

Stay 2 metres apart from other people staying there at all times.

@dementedpixie excellent. I am sending them this now. Premier Inn and all the budget hotels aren't accepting 10 days isolating travellers so good to luck to them finding a place to stay. We will help but this whole situation is ruining our return.

There is nothing in the guidelines to say that unvaccinated have to isolate separately to anyone else.

And testing guidelines for the children and vaccinated members of your party have just got more lenient - no pre-arrival test and arrival is a rapid antigen rather than PCR and no isolation needed.

Remember, your day 2 just needs to be taken after your arrival in the UK. You could do it at the airport whilst waiting for your luggage (as suggested on another thread!). You don't have to isolate until day 2.

@WhatsitWiggle

There is nothing in the guidelines to say that unvaccinated have to isolate separately to anyone else.

And testing guidelines for the children and vaccinated members of your party have just got more lenient - no pre-arrival test and arrival is a rapid antigen rather than PCR and no isolation needed.

Remember, your day 2 just needs to be taken after your arrival in the UK. You could do it at the airport whilst waiting for your luggage (as suggested on another thread!). You don't have to isolate until day 2.

The guidance about self-isolation permits staying in the same accomodation, but it also details how to do it properly if you have a household of vaccinated & un-vaccinated adults.

The risk here is the un-vaccinated adult testing positive. If he does, they are all stuck in the shared accomodation.

@WhatsitWiggle

There is nothing in the guidelines to say that unvaccinated have to isolate separately to anyone else.

And testing guidelines for the children and vaccinated members of your party have just got more lenient - no pre-arrival test and arrival is a rapid antigen rather than PCR and no isolation needed.

Remember, your day 2 just needs to be taken after your arrival in the UK. You could do it at the airport whilst waiting for your luggage (as suggested on another thread!). You don't have to isolate until day 2.

It does say they have to be separate from others in the accommodation they are staying in.

Sorry, my info wasn't accurate - I was coming from the angle of if you all went to stay with your friends, they won't need to isolate. But I'm afraid you would, as you've travelled with the unvaccinated person. So best for them to find somewhere else to stay!

www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-quarantine-when-you-arrive-in-england

Rules for the people you’re staying with

The people you’re staying with do not need to quarantine, unless:

they travelled with you
you or someone in the place where you’re staying develop symptoms of COVID-19
you get a positive test result for your day 2 or day 8 test

If any of these things apply, your household must quarantine with you, following the same rules and for the same length of time as you.

@WhatsitWiggle thank you! this was the page I couldn't find. I was sure I had read this before. What a mess.

Might be better for them to fly separately and isolate at friends house before we arrive

I linked to the same page earlier

@BambinaJAS @dementedpixie

Yes, I've corrected myself, apologies. If the unvaccinated person was travelling alone and staying with friends/family, they could be put into a room (preferably en suite), brought food and drink, and the rest of the household could come and go as long as the two parties didn't mix.

@dementedpixie yes thank you. so much information I was trying to find this part which I couldnt see before. Appreciate your advice. This has been non stop stress at this end so I am not reading or digesting information properly. Sometimes you need the power of MN to understand

Rules for the people you’re staying with

The people you’re staying with do not need to quarantine, unless:

they travelled with you
you or someone in the place where you’re staying develop symptoms of COVID-19
you get a positive test result for your day 2 or day 8 test

I know it’s not what you asked and you don’t have to answer this but I’d love to know who the relative is, why they are not vaccinated and if it is not a medical reason why you are willing to take on full care of a child for 5+ days to accommodate their preferences. --And in what universe did this person think it was a good idea to go on a massive journey to the other side of the world during a pandemic for which s/he has chosen not to protect his/herself and family.

If it were me I would be making my own plans at the premier inn or whatever and the relative can make their own arrangements. I wouldn’t let someone else’s voluntary choice against vaccination become my problem. At least I hope that’s what I would do. In real life family shit is so complicated I know.

@Meowwwwwww It's a good question. The relative is a sibling. They didn't want the vaccine. It's brought no end of upset to my family.

They will need to make their own arrangements now as I am not isolating for 10 days with my own family who are vaccinated. In terms of their child, I am happy to look after them - takes the pressure off me as they can distract my child. I am truly sick of this and I am going to have difficult conversations with them about if this is how they want their lives to be for the forseeable.

If it's not possible for your sibling to travel first to stay with your friends and you to catch up after 5 days (as they can do the test to release), then try serviced apartment accommodation for them as it's more geared up for being able to prepare food and be self sufficient than a hotel room. Something like Staycity Heathrow for example.

@WhatsitWiggle this is a great option. I didnt want to spend my time traipsing food to them. They are fully taking responsibility for their decision (the child staying with us is not a bone of contention) and are sorting it out. We will hopefully catch up with them on Day 5 and we can enjoy our time together.