Those of us who are unvaccinated and who return to Britain from any of a large number of other countries are supposed to quarantine at the address we gave as our "passenger location". And the government wearing its "NHS" face promises us it will "contact" us daily to confirm we are "following quarantine rules" and that we may also receive personal visits from its "staff".
OK, so are any unvaccinated people who have returned to Britain from abroad reading this? And if so, have you actually received any contacts or visits? Or are the government all mouth and no trousers? If you have received contacts or visits, can you describe them please? My attitude would probably be to tell them on the PLF I am not on the phone. Has anyone else done this?
The rules are of course totally ludicrous. For example there is no point in "quarantine" if people you live with can breeze in and out and mingle with who they please. So this is nothing to do with limiting the spread of any disease.
The text at that second link is quite interesting, if anybody hasn't seen it before. There's obviously an understanding that some of the door-knockers may do things like demand passwords, money, entry into your home, or say they're issuing fines, etc. And there's no need for rules against little boys stealing apples unless some little boys may in fact sometimes be ready to seize an opportunity to steal apples.
Who are these dudes? G4S, is it? Tattooed guys who haven't been getting much work as bouncers lately? Do they even exist? Who hires them? The local "health board"? Might they get narky if someone photographs their ID and posts their names online? (Nothing shameful about being a public servant, surely?)
About three weeks ago I returned from Crete and I had to 'self isolate' until my early release Day 5 PCR test (having had a Day 2 test and having been forced to book/pay for a Day 8 test). On literally my first full day back, I got one door knock from a young guy in an absurd NHS track and trace high vis vest who asked my name and for photo id. I showed him my passport, said this was a load of bollocks. He laughed, agreed and went on his way. About Day 4, I received a phone call from some similar guy who asked stupid questions like where was I (ummm - at home) was I doing this test and that test - and I just said yes yes yes without listening and more or less told him to piss off and hung up. And that was it. I was 'free' on passing the Day 5 test and didn't bother doing the absurd Day 8 test - which still sits in some drawer. I work from home (have done for 20 plus years) so it made little dif to my life and I went on several supermarket and shop visits - but did not stray far in case. My contingency plan was to not answer my phone if out or if they knocked and no-one answered to simply say I was asleep. It's fairly arbitrary (a fact they play on) but honestly I wouldn't worry too much about any of it. Good luck.
@ruth-learner Many thanks for this. So they came round before they rang. Asking your name is against the rules (they are supposed to ask "Am I speaking to ---?"), and arguably asking about tests is too because their questions are only meant to be about your "duty to quarantine".
One thing that shows the extent to which the authorities are taking the mickey is that people who will be leaving Britain again before the Day 8 test, or even before the Day 2 test, still have to pay for both in advance.
Another is that they say you should home-quarantine somewhere where you can open a window to the outside air, but often when they detain people in "quarantine hotels" the rooms (at £228.50 a night) have windows that can't be opened.
Not had anything except the standard bulk send SMS messages on 4 trips so far.
Neither has anyone i know.
If you're vaccinated they definitely don't care. If not maybe they care slightly more but nobody knows whos job it is.
Police say its not theirs, council say not theirs.
Might depend where you are, im in Wales and nobody i know has ever had anything except a text message returning any time in 2021.
