14 day Quarantine
 

Having announced it with their usual amount of consultation, they are now looking at rolling it back - before it has started.
BBC web news

another of Priti's bright ideas :ugh::ugh:

Anyway everyone will claim to be Dominic Cummings, a Formula 1 racing driver or a Romanian truck driver. The police don't want to know and the Border Force can't find their own ******* under normal conditions

If this wasn't done three months ago, why is it being done now? I know, stupid question.

Paxboy
As a regular cross border commuter I was concerned that I would not be able to do my normal route from UK to Germany and return each week, as the 14 day quarantine would lead to a prolonged stay in Germany which Mrs Mac was less than impressed with. However interestingly when I asked our legal dept to look into this when it was first announced, who then in turn contacted UK Govt officials, and were told I would be exempted anyway as a regular commuter with property both in UK and Germany, so do not be concerned. Also as an aside they did not believe it would come in anyway and that was when it was announced some weeks ago !!

Cheers
Mr Mac

To be reviewed after 3 weeks - in other words a load of nonsense to save the minister's face.

Everyone will fill in the Contact Form which will be placed in a large box somewhere and forgotten about

I read some weeks ago (and mentioned in a different thread in a neighbouring forum) in a letter to The Guardian, a woman said that, arriving in to LHR in March, Contact Forms were handed out before leaving.

Upon arrival, no one was collecting the forms. Not at the aircraft door, Border Force did not want it, no one had heard of it ... gosh what a surprise.

Agreed. Also, if the risk is so high that this is necessary, why are travel restrictions being lifted in the first place?

That cloud of dust on the horizon is the horse that's bolted out of the stable.

The Guardian

Paxboy
I have had it confirmed, in my own case that I will be exempted from 14 Day Quarantine as a regular commuter. This will no doubt make several people in Frankfurt / Paris / Amsterdam happy as well, you know the ones who in the 80,s would have had Red braces and Porches in the square mile, but have moved to Europe since Brexit. Anyway a very happy Mrs Mac is one result, though I await the comments from some in the press how these exemptions are just for the very rich (I can assure you we are not !!). Incidentally I have still not been able to book a haircut in Munich for next week due to back log there, and obviously still shut over in UK, and my UK hairdresser said she does not think they will be open until July by which time I may look like a member of Emerson Lake and Palmer from 1970,s prog rock era !!
Kind regards
Mr Mac

Apparently the "checks" will be random phone calls to your mobile................. I shall carry a rolled up backdrop of a picture of my study to affix to the wall wherever I am in case they ask me to turn on the camera............

That sounds like a very sophisticated arrangement. Those of us with no mobile coverage will presumably be able to take advantage of our rural situation.

PAXboy
Not a fan of IAG but I do commend their stand against Ms Patel and her stupidity. Rather typical of her approach as home secretary and oh so very typical of the way this govt has handled this crisis.
Cheers
Mr Mac

They're now consulting their lawyers about bringing a case for Judicial Review..................

I've just arrived late to this thread. Is this farce in reality just a plot outline from Yes Minister that has been dredged up from the archives?

I don't believe that even Jim Hacker was that incompetent, and Sir Humphrey would undoubtedly have ensured it would never have happened.

Guess....................................

A colleague in his pilots uniform was airlining from the UK to Spain to his home on BA. He was asked for his crew ID, passport and residency card. He didn't have his Spanish residency card and since his passport was French, they denied him boarding. He managed to get a flight to France and the next day, continued his journey back to Spain. I know the crewmember concerned, a nicer, pleasant gentleman I've yet to find. If he had said he was "positioning" rather than returning home, he could have boarded. Our colleague felt the person making the decision was enjoying getting on "over" a pilot.

A complaint has been filed....

"A complaint has been filed...." and forgotten - thousands complain about heavy handed, and genuinely unpleasant, security at UK airports and nothing ever changes - pay peanuts...................

I expect it was the Gate staff that denied him boarding not security, same principle applies though.

Whilst there is a thread on this topic running in Rumours & News, I am very happy to have our own thread as this is of such importance to the PPRuNe 'cabin'. I just ask that you do not post the same replies in both threads, as they follow different points

In my own family, we have postponed a big family reunion by a whole year to keep rebooking simple. The only thing that would make me fly at the moment is a direct personal request from a branch of family that live outside of the UK for life or death.

Did they introduce temperature testing, or anything, at LHR/LGW/MAN etc.? Of have they never bothered?

To be fair to the staff etc were probably trying to ensure Spanish quarantine regulations were being observed..I'm not sure your colleague is going to get far with his complaint.

The "commuters" I know of travelling from the UK have for some time been saying they have had to show their residency card and/or proof of Spanish citizenship prior to boarding flights inbound to Spain..

https://www.casacochecurro.com/wp-co...no-europeo.jpg

I'm actually surprised he managed to get into Spain from France..rigorous checks are still being carried out at the land border between France and Spain not far from us.

Comes as a bit of a shock doesn't it when countries introduce regulations and insist they are enforced properly:bored:

Reported today: The Guardian

Not really surprising news TBH.

The UK really didn't police lockdown in the way that many other nations did so I doubt they'll suddenly get a grip over quarantine..it'll be "quarantine" lite: Just enough to look good politically and seriously inconvenience those who need to take the threat of sanctions seriously but not enough to deter those whose motto is "does it look like I'm bothered" .

I think the jury is still out over temperature checks..isn't the thought that you can be infected but asymptomatic for several days?

So what happens to airline crew? Do they have to self isolate for 14 days after a trip?

Depends on whether they have remained on the aircraft during the turnaround for short-haul such as EZY

UK rules - no they don't - well UK based crew where we are don't have to.

Basically operate/position into the UK as part of a duty - nil quarantine required, regardless of where you have arrived from and regardless of how long you have spent there.

OTOH travel in from overseas but not as part of a duty, e.g. as a passenger ("commute") prior to work - 14 day quarantine is required...(though you can performed rostered duties in the UK such as training, and travel to/from airport/simulator facility is approved)

However..If you "commute" into the UK (thereby triggering quarantine), then operate an international trip out and back then on arrival back in the UK on duty quarantine no longer required..even that quarantine triggered by the original "commuting arrival" is cancelled.

Makes sense - those who travel daily to other countries don't have to isolate, those who make a single trip in a month do - welcome to the World of Priti Patel............

Yes, I know that forehead temperature testing is not reliable for Covid-19 but, in the early days, that was not known. I was interested in finding out if it were ever used. Seems not!

PAXboy
They have not used it at Manchester in my experience, but started this week apparently. A friend,who like me commutes from Sweden every couple of weeks back to Manchester, (and has done so like myself through out Covid crisis), advised that he was checked this weekend. I am back in Germany so not sure when this came in, as definitely was not happening as I said until very recently in my experience. I am currently due back on Friday, so unless something changes I will let you know if I get checked later in the week.
Kind regards
Mr Mac

TBF if the UK wants to continue functioning there have to be some exemptions for some groups working in or supporting critical industries, not just airline crew..

HMG list here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/public...k-border-rules

It's pretty long Wiggy..................

People who live in the UK but work in another country and travel between the UK and country of work at least once a week

for example- don't have to show they're doing anything important or vital - and of course seasonal workers,

But the reality of this is that lots of people actually do need to travel to and fro to keep the various systems that interconnect us with the rest of the world running. It's not just airline crews that get a "pass", it's pretty much anybody involved in transport, and not just " drivers", it's often those involved in the underlying infrastructure such as ATC, the rail network , plus the military plus healthcare professionals...you're bound to end up with a long list.

TBF most countries who imposed quarantines earlier in the process than the UK did had a similar list of exemptions.

As for seasonal workers..there I'd agree - that does seem dubious... I think fundamentally you need to consider whether the quarantine was put in place to provide a 100% covid tight barrier to prevent spread of disease into the UK or was put in place to placate some of the opinion formers and pressure groups.

Asturias56
That,s me !

Wiggy
You are correct re other countries and exemptions, as our staff, and indeed some friends who work for other companies and indeed industries are all flying, and have done through out, its just the routing have been more complex. Your final sentence is my guess as to why it was brought in so late, and I expect it to be quietly put back in the box in another week or so. Even though I have been travelling backwards and forwards, I may stay here (Germany) this weekend just to see how this is interpreted by those at the border control in the UK even though I am exempted from Quarantine.
Kind regards
Mr Mac

BBC web news

Coronavirus came to UK 'on at least 1,300 separate occasions'

The people I know who have caught it in the UK (not many) all caught it late/Feb/1st week March and can link it directly to skiers returning from Italy & France

Flew into LHR T5 today in the back after a tour. Filled in the form as required. My work phone wouldn't download the attachment. Grr. I did have the identifier. Wandered up, polite etc. Immigration officer was fine, I think he was rather "over" the whole procedure. Swapped some banter. All good. I don't have to go into 14 day iso. :)

... and if you are transiting but do have to pass through immigration and then proceed to immediately check in again, say if your connecting flights don't have an agreement between airlines so you have to claim your checked luggage.... you can't, you have to quarantine in the UK for 14 days ???