UK cuts self-isolation period to 10 days for domestic contacts, international arrivals

[rooster59]

UK cuts self-isolation period to 10 days for domestic contacts, international arrivals

 

FILE PHOTO: Shadows and silhouettes of shoppers are seen in Newcastle city centre, after new nationwide restrictions were announced during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Newcastle upon Tyne, Britain, November 4, 2020. REUTERS/Lee Smith/File Photo

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain said on Friday it would cut the self-isolation period for COVID-19 to 10 days from 14, in a change which will apply to both those presumed to have been in contact someone with the virus within the country, and those arriving from abroad.

 

The shorter self-isolation period will begin from Dec. 14 and apply in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, a government statement said. It already applies in Wales.

 

"After reviewing the evidence, we are now confident that we can reduce the number of days that contacts self-isolate from 14 days to 10 days," said the United Kingdom's four Chief Medical Officers in the statement.

 

Cutting the isolation time will help people return to work and school sooner, helping the economy recovery, while international travel should benefit from the looser rules, helping cash-strapped airlines.

 

The 10-day quarantine countdown begins on the day after exposure, a test or the start of symptoms, the statement said, with NHS Test and Trace, the organisation responsible for contacting people thought to have been in contact with the virus, due to give out the new guidance on Monday.

 

Most major travel destinations for Britons, such as France, Spain and the United States are not on Britain's safe travel corridor list, meaning that those arriving from those countries have to quarantine.

 

The new guidance brings the rules for potential contacts of the virus into line with the self-isolation requirements for those who receive a positive test.

 

(Reporting by Sarah Young; editing by Michael Holden)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-12-12

 

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[Jumbo1968]

If Thailand do the same  will there be a reduction for the cost of staying in an ASQ  Hotel ?

[RichardColeman]

11 minutes ago, Jumbo1968 said:

If Thailand do the same  will there be a reduction for the cost of staying in an ASQ  Hotel ?

No,  the remaining 10 will go up !

[Natai Beach]

I think part of the reason the UK has the worst covid deaths in Europe is because of weak rules they introduce and then weaken further as soon as there is the slightest indication that covid numbers are going down.

They have also been very slow to act, Boris wanting to “take it on the chin”, not testing the elderly and sending them back into elderly nursing homes, no PPE gear for the hospitals and some not even having masks.
Slow to stop tourists from heavily infected countries, China, Italy, France etc

Slow to get testing going.

Slow to get tracking going.
Started promoting “Eat out” before it was under control which lead to further spread and then another lockdown which made it worse for the businesses they were aiming to help.

 

They reopened in a hurry, which lead to where they are today, not once, but twice.
 

And now this. 
It has been proven in thousands of cases that it can show up 10-14 days after a first test.
So what they are doing now is ineffective against the virus, it WILL lead to more infections and deaths.

 

Currently 5-600 deaths per day and 17-20,000 new daily infections. 
It seems a bit high to start slackening the rules now, it will just result in dragging out even longer.

 

Their covid policy seems more based on hope than based on any scientific reality.

Too slow to introduce effective measures and too fast to relax them giving a very poor result. 

 

 

[Natai Beach]

33 minutes ago, Jumbo1968 said:

If Thailand do the same  will there be a reduction for the cost of staying in an ASQ  Hotel ?

I doubt if Thailand would be stupid enough to introduce this scientifically flawed scheme. 

The UK death rate is more than 1000 times that of Thailand’s.
The Thais won’t be looking to the UK for effective Covid measures.