Quarantine

[221129]

if not all the so called covid measures are nothing more than political gesturing.

That is exactly all that it is. The quarantine rules are nothing to do about safety and all to do with Boris et al showing the EU (badly) who is boss. It's pathetic.

 

[RomeoCharlie71]

Portugal back on England's naughty list from Saturday 4am.

 

[big_rig]

Portugal back on England's naughty list from Saturday 4am.

The Telegraph reports Sweden will be back on the 'good' list - how ironic!

 

[MikeWM]

The Telegraph reports Sweden will be back on the 'good' list - how ironic!

Maybe they're hoping we'll go there en masse and spread the virus around a bit to make Sweden look less successful

Seriously though, this is good. The omission of Sweden looked political rather than based on any meaningful measures.

 

[RomeoCharlie71]

I wonder if other countries will start putting the UK on their naughty list (if they have one, of course) now that our cases are over 20 per 100,000?

 

[adc82140]

I don't believe any other European country has a naughty list. France says we have to quarantine, but it's so light touch as to be pointless, and is just political tit for tat.

 

[island]

Ireland has lists of countries arrivals from which are/are not requested to restrict their movements for 14 days. I believe Hungary also has restrictions.

 

[Richard Scott]

I don't believe any other European country has a naughty list. France says we have to quarantine, but it's so light touch as to be pointless, and is just political tit for tat.

Switzerland does.

 

[yorkie]

Switzerland does.

True but it's a sensible list, and I believe you can get a test after 5 days and cease isolating if it comes back negative,

 

[Richard Scott]

True but it's a sensible list, and I believe you can get a test after 5 days and cease isolating if it comes back negative,

Agreed but almost caught us out when we were there! Only discovered it existed day before we went. Luckily we complied!

 

[joncombe]

True but it's a sensible list, and I believe you can get a test after 5 days and cease isolating if it comes back negative,

Norway has such a list - and at the moment it's a very long list! See the map at https://www.fhi.no/en/op/novel-coro...cts-and-general-advice/travel-advice-COVID19/

However there is quarantine for pretty the whole world, including much all of Western Europe (excluding most of the other Nordic countries) plus some Eastern European and Baltic countries.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The Telegraph reports Sweden will be back on the 'good' list - how ironic!

Quite a big statement, is that!

 

[island]

The Telegraph reports Sweden will be back on the 'good' list - how ironic!

Indeed it is – since 0400hrs today.

 

[Yew]

It does feel like there should be a better process for this by now, It feels like the entire thing has been set up to try and catch people out. Most holidays are weekend to weekend, and only one days notice is insane. A Monday cut off, with a weeks notice would be a lot more friendly.

Similaly, it's criminal that the FCO hasn't been issuing the established protocol of travel bans, to ensure that holidaymakers can claim insurance. Overall it just stinks of wanting to punish "selfish" holidaymakers who booked a trip to somewhere that the government said was safe. Anyone would think that the cabinet were fun-hating Puritans.

 

[Bantamzen]

It does feel like there should be a better process for this by now, It feels like the entire thing has been set up to try and catch people out. Most holidays are weekend to weekend, and only one days notice is insane. A Monday cut off, with a weeks notice would be a lot more friendly.

Similaly, it's criminal that the FCO hasn't been issuing the established protocol of travel bans, to ensure that holidaymakers can claim insurance. Overall it just stinks of wanting to punish "selfish" holidaymakers who booked a trip to somewhere that the government said was safe. Anyone would think that the cabinet were fun-hating Puritans.

Absolutely, other countries seem to have been able to get their game on and have things like airport testing so that us horrible, nasty people that would like to go abroad and take in some culture instead of sitting at home virtue signalling on social media can do so. But this is a bunch of Eatonian yahoos with the collective intelligence and reasoning of a bag of dead badgers. So instead we play silly games with the public and other countries, whilst sticking our tongues out at them.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Absolutely, other countries seem to have been able to get their game on and have things like airport testing so that us horrible, nasty people that would like to go abroad and take in some culture instead of sitting at home virtue signalling on social media can do so. But this is a bunch of Eatonian yahoos with the collective intelligence and reasoning of a bag of dead badgers. So instead we play silly games with the public and other countries, whilst sticking our tongues out at them.

I get the impression it's more that Matt Hancock is risk averse (as he doesn't want to go down in history as the health secretary who killed millions) and they are just going with him.

 

[Trackman]

Portugal back on England's naughty list from Saturday 4am.

I have a few friends on holiday over there at the moment.
They are now shutting pubs at 8pm and they say it’s now difficult to get a drink after 8pm as all the restaurants which can open until 11pm are rammed.

 

[Yew]

I have a few friends on holiday over there at the moment.
They are now shutting pubs at 8pm and they say it’s now difficult to get a drink after 8pm as all the restaurants which can open until 11pm are rammed.

That sounds like it hasn't had any unintended consequences at all...

 

[Bantamzen]

I get the impression it's more that Matt Hancock is risk averse (as he doesn't want to go down in history as the health secretary who killed millions) and they are just going with him.

Well if its risk aversity he's worried about, I've got some very bad news for him. He may not go down as the health secretary who killed millions through covid, just the one who tanked an entire economy, left millions unemployed & killed thousands by shutting down the NHS from them. I'd say he's on a losing streak.

 

[Westcountryman]

See this:

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/brit-23-returns-ibiza-throws-22670610

A 23-year-old man who threw a house party and left his home when he should have been self-isolating after returning from Ibiza has been fined £1,000.

Chief Inspector Nicola Williams of Greater Manchester Police, said: "Due to the rise in cases in Bolton the area has been put in to further lockdown regulations.

Similar reports in other newspapers.

Seems to be some kind of 'jetsetter', no idea of how he earns his money. Six weeks in Ibiza, then ignored quarantine. He lives in Bolton, but thought it was too far to drive to Blackburn (14 miles) for a test, because he didn't have it as he had no symptoms. ~30% of people with the virus are asymptomatic.

 

[Mag_seven]

It does feel like there should be a better process for this by now, It feels like the entire thing has been set up to try and catch people out. Most holidays are weekend to weekend, and only one days notice is insane. A Monday cut off, with a weeks notice would be a lot more friendly.

Similaly, it's criminal that the FCO hasn't been issuing the established protocol of travel bans, to ensure that holidaymakers can claim insurance. Overall it just stinks of wanting to punish "selfish" holidaymakers who booked a trip to somewhere that the government said was safe. Anyone would think that the cabinet were fun-hating Puritans.

Agreed - the "policy" seems to be identify some arbitrary xxx cases per 100,000 and insist on people returning from any country with a greater rate than that (despite the UK being greater than that rate in some cases!) to self isolate for 14 days just because they "might have COVID-19". Surely the time has come now to test on arrival back in the UK and test again 5 days later. If negative on both cases then no need to continue self isolating?

 

[Domh245]

Surely the time has come now to test on arrival back in the UK and test again 5 days later. If negative on both cases then no need to continue self isolating?

I would agree, if we had the testing capacity. Given the stories we've been hearing this week about issues with testing capacity and people being sent 100s of miles as the crow flies to get a test, it is right that we are prioritising tests for those at home with symptoms, and those who've taken the risk on going abroad are at a lower priority.

 

[jtuk]

See this:

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/brit-23-returns-ibiza-throws-22670610


Similar reports in other newspapers.

Seems to be some kind of 'jetsetter', no idea of how he earns his money. Six weeks in Ibiza, then ignored quarantine. He lives in Bolton, but thought it was too far to drive to Blackburn (14 miles) for a test, because he didn't have it as he had no symptoms. ~30% of people with the virus are asymptomatic.

Cite that 30%, that's at least half of what I understand it to be

 

[adc82140]

I would agree, if we had the testing capacity. Given the stories we've been hearing this week about issues with testing capacity and people being sent 100s of miles as the crow flies to get a test, it is right that we are prioritising tests for those at home with symptoms, and those who've taken the risk on going abroad are at a lower priority.

There's plenty of private testing capacity if you're willing to pay for it. Therefore 14 days quarantine, or cut to five with two negative tests if you pay for them.

 

[takno]

See this:

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/brit-23-returns-ibiza-throws-22670610


Similar reports in other newspapers.

Seems to be some kind of 'jetsetter', no idea of how he earns his money. Six weeks in Ibiza, then ignored quarantine. He lives in Bolton, but thought it was too far to drive to Blackburn (14 miles) for a test, because he didn't have it as he had no symptoms. ~30% of people with the virus are asymptomatic.

I thought the government said yesterday that people without symptoms must not under any circumstances go for a test. They can't have it both ways.

 

[Domh245]

There's plenty of private testing capacity if you're willing to pay for it. Therefore 14 days quarantine, or cut to five with two negative tests if you pay for them.

That I would be in favour of, provided there is some way to verify the origin of the test and result - the last thing you want is faked covid tests.

There's also an argument that the private capacity should be bought by the government to grow the amount of pillar 2 tests that can be performed

 

[Yew]

Agreed - the "policy" seems to be identify some arbitrary xxx cases per 100,000 and insist on people returning from any country with a greater rate than that (despite the UK being greater than that rate in some cases!) to self isolate for 14 days just because they "might have COVID-19". Surely the time has come now to test on arrival back in the UK and test again 5 days later. If negative on both cases then no need to continue self isolating?

I was thinking more that the short-notice 4AM on Saturday seems to be intentionally designed to mess with people.

 

[SouthEastBuses]

Portugal back on England's naughty list from Saturday 4am.

With the exception of Azores and Madeira, which will continue to be quarantine-free.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I was thinking more that the short-notice 4AM on Saturday seems to be intentionally designed to mess with people.

Yes, I'd do it from 4am Monday so it doesn't muck up weekend trippers.

 

[Skimpot flyer]

I was thinking more that the short-notice 4AM on Saturday seems to be intentionally designed to mess with people.

I believe the Health Secretary was in favour of only 30 minutes’ notice, but Johnson overruled him. He didn’t want the tabloids screaming ‘Hancock’s Half Hour’