Non vaxxed friend refusing to isolate (close contact)

[Watermelontonic]

They’ve been contacted by track and trace as they have been identified as a close contact as someone who has just tested positive.

He says he’ll just take LFTs for 7 days, same as vaccinated people.
He’s self employed, so he’ll lose money if he isolates for 10 days.

I wish he hadn’t told me, as I know now that he’s breaking the law and not sure what to do.

What would you do?

I wouldn't even care

Call the Covid Cops. Nee naw nee naw.

Definitely log it with 101

I wouldn’t do anything official tbh, it’s his look out.

I would however avoid him whilst there’s still isolation restrictions still in place because my trust that he would tell me he’d had a positive test would be gone and I’ve got my own bills/families health to consider.

In reality I’m unlikely to come across this scenario because I wouldn’t be able to tell you if one of my friends hadn’t had a vaccine because I haven’t talked to anyone who hasn’t volunteered that information and I’m even less likely to know they’re currently testing as a contact. It’s polite in my circle to let people know if you’re due to spend time with them in close contact but otherwise why would it even need to be said?

That’s the same logic as saying you don’t want to drive any more because you were once involved in a collision?

Many people don't drive again though.

@PenStation

Send him this:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/test-and-trace-support-payment-scheme-claiming-financial-support/claiming-financial-support-under-the-test-and-trace-support-payment-scheme

Obvs he can’t keep working and claim it though!

It's only guaranteed for people who are claiming benefits like Universal Credit

For anyone not claiming benefits, there's a discretionary scheme, but the vast majority of people who apply for that are turned down
inews.co.uk/news/uk/councils-england-self-isolation-payment-failure-gateshead-hackney-covid-1061374

It's also unlikely to cover all the costs of self isolation, once you consider

• normal living expenses like rent, bills and food
• business overheads like rent on premises, insurance, loss of perishable stock, vehicle payments
• extra costs of self isolation, like having to pay for supermarket deliveries or a dog walker

Being self employed, he won't even get SSP. He'd probably get no help whatsoever.

I'm triple jabbed, and I wouldn't judge anyone who can't afford to self isolate. If the government was willing to pay furlough to healthy people then they should do the same, universally, for anyone told to self isolate.

I wouldn't do anything, but I certainly wouldn't think of him in the same way afterwards. Just because BoJo is going to get rid of self isolation in 2 months, in an attempt to save his skin, doesn't mean we should ignore the law now.

@TheLovelinessOfDemons

I hate this. Some people are CEV or have CEV relatives. My adult DS would love to go back to normal but can't. I doubt he'll ever be allowed out for more than his 10 minute walk for the rest of his life.

Why would your DS not be "allowed out" for more than a 10 minutes walk for the rest of his life? Who's doing the allowing here?! Because if someone is restricting him like that it sounds like false imprisonment to me.

I'd drop the friendship. And hope his work doesnt bring him into contact with the vulnerable.

I have a critically vulnerable person in the household.

I really would not want to use the services of someone who should be isolating.

And am saddened, but not surprised, at how many people think it's OK to break isolation and thereby remove one of the few remaining protections for us. The idea that we need to be shut away ('protect the vulnerable') is shitty enough in the first place, but that we cannot rely at on on the remaining protections means no freedom at all.

We don't really have a choice - no-one chooses to be severely immune suppressed.

This person had a choice - and he chose not to be vaccinated. He shouldn't get to ignore the consequences of hpthat choice.

This is one of the ones where I hope it's a journo on a fishing expedition and not what a real life person thinks.

With so many vaccinated people catching it and spreading it this wouldn't bother me at all . If he actually had covid it would be different

I’m always surprised how some people would love to live in a police state. Informing the authorities of every mild misdemeanour.
Thank goodness the majority seem to have common sense.

@Porcupineintherough

I'd drop the friendship. And hope his work doesnt bring him into contact with the vulnerable.

Because an unvaccinated tested covid negative person is sooooo much more dangerous, even deadly than a who knows vaccinated person.

Being unvaccinated and regularly testing, one would hope that a vaccinated person would take it upon themselves the same courtesy to regularly test as well if they were going to be in contact with the vulnerable.

@Wintersun

I’m always surprised how some people would love to live in a police state. Informing the authorities of every mild misdemeanour. Thank goodness the majority seem to have common sense.

This!

It's like they want to give up their freedom and everyone else's as well!

@Porcupineintherough

I'd drop the friendship. And hope his work doesnt bring him into contact with the vulnerable.

You do realise the vaccinated can pass on Covid pretty readily too?

@Wintersun

I’m always surprised how some people would love to live in a police state. Informing the authorities of every mild misdemeanour. Thank goodness the majority seem to have common sense.

Yes, it's extremely disturbing how many people would seemingly thrive in a totalitarian police state without even blinking.

Bloody hell, just leave people alone. What's happened to the world? Everyone has gone mad.

@treeflowercat and so? Do you think he's being honest with his clients about the situation so they can decide what level of risk they're happy with? And yes, unvaccinated people are more likely to catch and transmit COVID.

[quote Porcupineintherough]@treeflowercat and so? Do you think he's being honest with his clients about the situation so they can decide what level of risk they're happy with? And yes, unvaccinated people are more likely to catch and transmit COVID.[/quote]
Is that even true with Omicron, at least any more than marginally?

And someone who's unvaccinated and testing every day is likely to be far "safer" than someone who's vaccinated and who isn't.

I'm a big supporter of vaccines. They've made a huge difference in our fight against Covid, but that appears to be mainly due to reducing illness severity; not transmission.

I'm not saying vaccines don't help prevent transmission, it's more that they're not particularly effective in this regard. Look at Omicron.... extraordinarily fast growth despite 90% of eligible population being vaccinated.