COVID19 TEST FOR FLYING TO UK - Page 3

The UK government has admitted that only 20% of those resident in the country and asked to self-isolate after a positive Covid test actually do so and are in a bind as many are reliant on working and the need to work to live. As a result quite a few are avoiding testing.

So the reality is that many that quarantine after arriving in UK from Spain find that no-one checks on them. Obviously some checks are made... it's pot-luck.

Chris

I saw a report that said in one day 30 people arrived without a test result,were fined £200 pounds and allowed to leave. Incredibly the border force officials can’t detain a British citizen This shows what a farce the UK policy is

Discussions are taking place in U.K. about requiring entrants to the U.K. to stay in a local hotel for ten days at their own cost on arrival with supervision to prevent early departure and face-recognition cameras etc. Not sure how that would work with face-masks being worn.

Chris

Thank you for your reply, I have been told the clinic will not guarantee the result in 24 hours they say it is 24 - 48 hours.   To be within the 72 hours we would need the test before 8am on the Wednesday, collect the results on the Thursday which is dated the day they took the test (Wednesday) it is impossible to do it if a clinic does not produce the results within 24 hours and are not open before 8am, I feel as though I am being a bit illiterate sorry

Nothing mentioned here about quarentine in hotels etc, was suggested by some MPs that the borders be closed to non UK citizens but that's on the back burner if things don't improve. Still have to quarentine for 10 days, 5 if you take another test after 5 days.

Not sure it’s ‘on the back burner’ but I hope so too!

This was from Simon Calder just a short while ago today -

“It may be that only arrivals from certain locations, such as southern Africa and South America, will be obliged to undergo hotel quarantine. The traveller pays and a rough estimate is around €1500 fo 10 days in hotel self-isolation, £2000 for a couple. I predict the measure will take effect on 15 February, plus or minus five days. But the government has show it is capable of making completely unexpected statements. Some government sources have said that the process of implementing hotel quarantine will last for six to eight weeks. That indicates an end point in the first half of April. The UK travel industry, which sees hotel quarantine as the final straw, desperately hopes it will end by the Easter long weekend: 2-5 April 2021.

“The most significant nation, though, in terms of British visitors and expatriates, is Portugal. At present it is the only European country subject to a flight ban.

“Some additional restrictions apply to passengers on connecting flights to the UK: British and Irish citizens, as well as third-country nationals with residential rights in the UK, can come in whenever they like but must self-isolate along with their households for 10 days. Other travellers cannot arrive in the UK if they have been in any of the “banned” countries within the past 10 days

“Ministers are also considering tracking the phones of arriving travellers, to ensure they are complying with the rules, or establishing a system of daily registration with a central database.

“Transport secretary, Grant Shapps, revealed earlier this month that only one in 1,000 of the coronavirus cases in England in December was brought in from abroad – and that was in a month with plenty of people travelling, including 1.1 million through Heathrow. Today the figure is likely to be far lower, due to the diminishing number of arrivals to the UK.”

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/covid-uk-travel-ban-hotel-quarantine-b1791176.html%3famp

Chris

Being a Spanish resident and owning a property in the UK well I still need to go down the hotel route? Thanks

As am I! - Spanish resident but with a U.K. property. We may need to drive to the U.K. to our property at some point soon. We are waiting to see if the U.K. imposes a hotel quarantine- in which case we cannot afford to go. Decision soon I think ...

Chris

Yes. Seems a bit drastic if you have a property and have to spend £1500 in a hotel! My wife is nonresident and currently at the UK address. Would be interested to hear anything you hear please.

Understand what your saying but I'll be highly surprised if hotel quarentine happens especially for UK national's  good luck anyway. We're trying to get out to our Cantoria property......