Returning to Blighty

[mariesnowgoose]

Some of the the quarantine "exemptions" I find at odds with the general idea of why quarantine is necessary right now.

Hauliers, for example. I'm, like.... what?! The inconsistencies are undecipherable, imho.
(Bearing in mind Portugal is currently on the country 'red list').

So why is this group (and several other groups on the government list) exempt? Don't they also pose a risk of importing virus variants?
Just because jobs might be classed as essential doesn't make the people doing them exempt from spreading the virus, surely?!
Just musing...

Hauliers travelling from Portugal​

Hauliers travelling from Portugal are permitted to travel to England and are exempt from managed quarantine.
You need to complete the passenger locator form before you travel to England.
You do not need to take a coronavirus test before you travel to England.
You’ll need to show that your travel is part of your job, for example a letter from your employer, a consignment note or your operator’s licence.
Applies to:
Drivers of goods vehicles and other employees of community licence holders for the international carriage of goods who have been in Portugal in the 10 days prior to their arrival in England.

 

[jagmanx]

Some of the the quarantine "exemptions" I find at odds with the general idea of why quarantine is necessary right now.

Hauliers, for example. I'm, like.... what?! The inconsistencies are undecipherable, imho.
(Bearing in mind Portugal is currently on the country 'red list').

So why is this group (and several other groups on the government list) exempt? Don't they also pose a risk of importing virus variants?
Just because jobs might be classed as essential doesn't make the people doing them exempt from spreading the virus, surely?!
Just musing...

Hauliers travelling from Portugal​

Hauliers travelling from Portugal are permitted to travel to England and are exempt from managed quarantine.
You need to complete the passenger locator form before you travel to England.
You do not need to take a coronavirus test before you travel to England.
You’ll need to show that your travel is part of your job, for example a letter from your employer, a consignment note or your operator’s licence.
Applies to:
Drivers of goods vehicles and other employees of community licence holders for the international carriage of goods who have been in Portugal in the 10 days prior to their arrival in England.

Complete and utter nonsense
The must at the very minimum undergo a test !!!! and show their travel route etc
give mobile phone no and checkin their location on a daily basis
even Google tracks me (Alert to trevskoda !0

 

[mariesnowgoose]

Complete and utter nonsense
The must at the very minimum undergo a test !!!! and show their travel route etc
give mobile phone no and checkin their location on a daily basis
even Google tracks me (Alert to trevskoda !0

Maybe they need a test when they arrive?
But it doesn't say that on the guidelines published on the government website...

 

[Rec]

Maybe they need a test when they arrive?
But it doesn't say that on the guidelines published on the government website...

It does seem mad, having seen for ourselves truckers congregated in the Folkestone lorry park, mixing freely, in December. I hope that this has been stopped now. I suppose they would say that often they have no contact with others but motorhomers are probably more selfcontained. Economy concerns and logistics of having test? But a quick test for all hauliers at point of entry seems the safest and most logical option. Even if 60% accurate, it's got to be better than none. They have to get one to enter France, I think still?

 

[2cv]

Spain would appear likely to be added soon to the “red list”. Link This would mean hotel quarantine on return to the UK and entry possible only through one of 5 airports. It would also mean 2 flights as direct services would not be allowed. The only way to enter with a van would be by staying 10 days in France en route.

 

[John H]

Spain would appear likely to be added soon to the “red list”. Link This would mean hotel quarantine on return to the UK and entry possible only through one of 5 airports. It would also mean 2 flights as direct services would not be allowed. The only way to enter with a van would be by staying 10 days in France en route.

Of course, all of those things are possible but that does not mean they make sense! By any standard, everybody would be safer if motorhomers were allowed to drive home rather than risk infecting (and being infected by) hundreds of others in airports, on planes and on any intervening transport. On top of that, if I were to leave my van on a foreign country there is a very good chance my insurance would be invalid. Thus if the government is daft enough to insist on all the above, I would rather stay here and throw myself on the mercy of the Spanish authorities. I suspect that under those circumstances, there is a good chance they will agree not to penalise me for overstaying the 90 days. Correspondence is in progress as I type this, so we'll just have to see. Meanwhile, my MP has expressed sympathy and passed the information I have given her to the Home Office for their consideration. Interesting times!

 

[2cv]

Of course, all of those things are possible but that does not mean they make sense! By any standard, everybody would be safer if motorhomers were allowed to drive home rather than risk infecting (and being infected by) hundreds of others in airports, on planes and on any intervening transport. On top of that, if I were to leave my van on a foreign country there is a very good chance my insurance would be invalid. Thus if the government is daft enough to insist on all the above, I would rather stay here and throw myself on the mercy of the Spanish authorities. I suspect that under those circumstances, there is a good chance they will agree not to penalise me for overstaying the 90 days. Correspondence is in progress as I type this, so we'll just have to see. Meanwhile, my MP has expressed sympathy and passed the information I have given her to the Home Office for their consideration. Interesting times!

Sincerely hope that you get a good outcome, personally I’d be heading home before it’s at someone else’s whim.

 

[Rec]

Brits Overstaying EU's 90/180 Days Rule to Face Penalties

United Kingdom nationals travelling to the European Union and Schengen Area Member States are already going through a lot of changes, including additional checks at ports of entry, and even entry restrictions which have been imposed on third countries amid COVID-19. Frequent travellers to the...

www.schengenvisainfo.com

I do think, as said before, that the restriction on travel due to covid would be considered a " strong reason" and other articles have confirmed it specifically if due to covid.
I understand that ferries are being cancelled due to fewer people travelling, so you may find yours is cancelled anyway, but end of March is six weeks away, and things change. I am unsure that racing back now when you already have a booking to travel would be a safe or sensible option. We certainly will stay beyond our booked date if we feel it is safer to stay put (although schengen isn't an issue for us).

 

[jagmanx]

Brits Overstaying EU's 90/180 Days Rule to Face Penalties

United Kingdom nationals travelling to the European Union and Schengen Area Member States are already going through a lot of changes, including additional checks at ports of entry, and even entry restrictions which have been imposed on third countries amid COVID-19. Frequent travellers to the...

www.schengenvisainfo.com

I do think, as said before, that the restriction on travel due to covid would be considered a " strong reason" and other articles have confirmed it specifically if due to covid.
I understand that ferries are being cancelled due to fewer people travelling, so you may find yours is cancelled anyway, but end of March is six weeks away, and things change. I am unsure that racing back now when you already have a booking to travel would be a safe or sensible option. We certainly will stay beyond our booked date if we feel it is safer to stay put (although schengen isn't an issue for us).

Exactly !

 

[jagmanx]

The next stage "should be".with regard to vaccinated travellers ?

I appreciate it is not yet clear if we can still transmit the virus (likely as the vaccinations appear targetted and reducing infectionrather than stopping it 100%) and so safety first dictates they should have the PCR test Prior to arrival.
Then maybe if they have a futher negative test asap after arrival or maybe 5 days after the predeparture test THEN they are free to live as per the normal restrictions that are in place
IE no further isolation/self-isolation/quarantine. In many ways that is less risk than when lockdown is eased ?
Lockdown easing will apply to all whether or not they have been tested or vaccinated or indeed both ! ?

 

[John H]

Sincerely hope that you get a good outcome, personally I’d be heading home before it’s at someone else’s whim.

Each to their own but we are in a rural area that has had no reported cases of the virus and fel very safe here (largely because everybody is obeying the rules). The last thing I want to do is to mix with hundreds of strangers on the way home!

 

[John H]

Brits Overstaying EU's 90/180 Days Rule to Face Penalties

United Kingdom nationals travelling to the European Union and Schengen Area Member States are already going through a lot of changes, including additional checks at ports of entry, and even entry restrictions which have been imposed on third countries amid COVID-19. Frequent travellers to the...

www.schengenvisainfo.com

I do think, as said before, that the restriction on travel due to covid would be considered a " strong reason" and other articles have confirmed it specifically if due to covid.
I understand that ferries are being cancelled due to fewer people travelling, so you may find yours is cancelled anyway, but end of March is six weeks away, and things change. I am unsure that racing back now when you already have a booking to travel would be a safe or sensible option. We certainly will stay beyond our booked date if we feel it is safer to stay put (although schengen isn't an issue for us).

Our original ferry has been cancelled (they have taken the Cap Finisterre out of service and are only running the Galicia) and we have transferred to a day later. If they take the one remaining boat out of service (although they need something for the freight) I will definitely be staying put!

 

[Rec]

Our original ferry has been cancelled (they have taken the Cap Finisterre out of service and are only running the Galicia) and we have transferred to a day later. If they take the one remaining boat out of service (although they need something for the freight) I will definitely be staying put!

I know it's a big hardship to stay in a safe, sunny rural area....but sure you will cope!

 

[Deleted member 5607]

On the subject of lorry drivers being exempt from testing etc, I wrote to my MP about this subject on our return from Spain last March. We drove through Spain and France to Eurotunnel. We saw, on numerous occasions, at filling stations and rest stops, the lorry drivers flouting the "hands, space, face" protocol. Indeed, as the toilets in the service stations were all shut, the hygiene was appalling! I pointed out to him that it could be entirely possible that the haulage industry is a super spreader of the virus. I got no reply

 

[jagmanx]

Too busy claiming expenses etc..shame all their X-channel junkets on hold !

 

[Alice1]

Thanks to everybody who has responded to the original questions. We are actually hunkered down in Portugal on a proper licensed site. There is a statement from the Portuguese govt today that there is an exemption from the 90 day rule if you were here before 31/12/20 and you can travel back when Covid restrictions allow without penalty (I.e. illegal immigrant etc). Thing is it seems only to apply to flights between Portugal & UK. Anyone out there running for home in the motorhome yet?

 

[Deleted member 5607]

This is exactly what happened when Covid hit last year. All advice was for air travel. Even those using the ferries had very little help while those of us driving home were left high and dry.

 

[jagmanx]

Our original ferry has been cancelled (they have taken the Cap Finisterre out of service and are only running the Galicia) and we have transferred to a day later. If they take the one remaining boat out of service (although they need something for the freight) I will definitely be staying put!

Cherry picking from your link
Despite the consequences listed above, some travellers may not be subject to any of them, in particular those who cannot travel for a strong reason that can be proved.

Surely covid a valid reason !

 

[John H]

Cherry picking from your link
Despite the consequences listed above, some travellers may not be subject to any of them, in particular those who cannot travel for a strong reason that can be proved.

Surely covid a valid reason !

If you test positive, then I agree, it is a valid reason. However, as long as you test negative and there are means of "escape" then it would be difficult to claim Covid as a valid reason for staying. Since the ferry from Santander is still running, we have no valid excuse, so we will be on it next Saturday - assuming that we pass the PCR test, that is!

 

[John H]

Thanks to everybody who has responded to the original questions. We are actually hunkered down in Portugal on a proper licensed site. There is a statement from the Portuguese govt today that there is an exemption from the 90 day rule if you were here before 31/12/20 and you can travel back when Covid restrictions allow without penalty (I.e. illegal immigrant etc). Thing is it seems only to apply to flights between Portugal & UK. Anyone out there running for home in the motorhome yet?

I don't know but I assume that the reason why it only applies to flights is because that is the only means of entry/exit that brings you directly into/out of Portugal. To get back by ferry you have to enter Spain (and maybe France) and the Portuguese cannot make claims about what the consequences might be if a foreign government is involved.