UK incidence is 336 - how can a country with an incidence of 8 be amber?

[UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme]

And wtf is going on with only recognising vaccination done under the UK vaccination programme and exempting only those vaccinated in the UK from the extortionate scam of the £150+ per person test packages. Wtf is going on with having to pay for a day 8 test if you're leaving the UK on day 5? Why do children aged over 4 have to pay for these tests when UK children under 18 are exempt from everything?

How on earth is this justified for people coming from countries with incidence rates tens of times lower than the UK, and far less high risk varient cases than the UK?

Is anyone else unable to justify visiting family because there's essentially been a £600 to a thousand pound per family bribe imposed in the form of this bizzare test package for fully vaccinated adults and young children? Combined with being confined to one house for the duration of the now incredibly expensive visit, making it especially unappealing with children...

Has anyone been to the UK from a low incidence amber country with kids in tow recently? What was your experience?

I’m so glad other people are on the same page as me with this! I’m in the US which, overall, doesn’t have low numbers but recently they have been considerably lower than the UK. And this is the bit that makes no sense at all…the UK government is apparently wanting to open an ”air corridor” between London and New York and also Los Angeles. Let’s look at the current figures…

UK cases per million:

78,123

New York state cases per million:

112,296

California cases per million:

97,605

So, yeah, let’s set up an air corridor with two states that have some of the highest incidence rates and are responsible for the overall US figure being so high. Meanwhile in Oregon (where I’d be flying from if I were to visit my mum), cases per million are…….drum roll….50,263. But we don’t have Manhattan or Hollywood so we don’t count.

In same position and I'm livid. I am going back next week to see my mum as haven't seen her in two years, and am about to move even further away, but have to isolate at her house and then leave before the redundant 8 day test. Stupid, when I've been double vaccinated since March and have the EU covid passport to prove it. I would say shop around though, I found a provider for the day 2 and 8 tests for 80 quid, which is still stupidly high but not as high as I expected.
@Shanster your mum doesn't have to isolate with you anymore btw, you have to isolate at home but anyone you're isolating with can go about their daily lives.

And I'm coming from a country which had 49 cases yesterday. Total. Ridiculous.

Insert1x20p and PrimeraVez obviously your situations are even worse - and for everyone in red countries or countries requiring hotel quarantine on return! Shanster obviously the way your dad died and your mum being on her own makes it multiple times more awful. A visit confined to the house sounds so bleak, especially in summer, and being away from your kids for 3 weeks too
I might end up flying over by myself but would only stay 3 or 4 days if so. It's definitely no fun to go over and be stuck in the house - especially someone else's house where parents or not you're not at home.

Ulelia thanks for the tip on maybe being able to find the tests cheaper. So infuriating isn't it!

For the people saying they would only stay for 3/4 days in the UK, are we allowed to leave again before the quarantine period is over? It is a bit hard to find that info on the UK government websites.

CardiCorgi yes - its even explicitly stated that a day 8 test must be purchased by passengers from amber countries including those leaving the UK before day 8.

As I understand it we can use public transport to travel to the destination at which we will be quarantined too - has anyone seen anything to contract that?

And why do we have to pay for very expensive PCR tests to return to the UK when we've been vaccinated??

Ah, that might make a visit possible then (possibly even to Wales which still has 10 days, no test-to-release) I don’t mind being quarantined at my parents’ place and then leaving, they are the people I want to see.

Extra frustrating as we are all double-vaccinated and they could come here.

As far as I understood public transport is fine, you’re just meant to go directly to the place of quarantine and not pop to the shops on your way.

I got excited yesterday when I read about plans to let in vaccinated "expats" from 1st Aug (Guardian article). However, on closer reading, you would have to register your vaccination with your UK GP. How can you still have a UK GP if you're resident in another country? It's a shambles, I'm so disappointed with UK government's inability to recognise a vaccine certificate.

Me too. Also how do you get to your GP when you are in quarantine?