Positive - Trip to Spain Planned

soolin

Arthurian said:

I can scarcely believe this, so I'll ask here: for a trip to Spain now, all I need to do is show my NHS digital Covid pass?  So I could have Covid (according to the latest ONS statistics, 1 in 17 people in England have it at the moment) and still travel?  With no tests?  And no masks in the airport or plane, in Spain or the UK? If I catch it on the outbound journey, and spend half my holiday in bed, can I still return as planned without the need for tests or isolation?

There has always been potential to travel with covid, I've travelled a fair few times in the past year and have not had to take a test on arrival in Spain so could easily have been travelling unknowingly infected with covid. Last year I had to test before I left Spain to return, but that was a single snap shot so again could have been infected immediately I left the test centre. As for masks , they could be removed for eating and drinking on board the aircraft (some carriers were stricter than others) and it wasn't unusual to see someone make a cup of coffee and a tub of pringles last an hour or more. 

Cross_Man

Arthurian said:

I can scarcely believe this, so I'll ask here: for a trip to Spain now, all I need to do is show my NHS digital Covid pass?  So I could have Covid (according to the latest ONS statistics, 1 in 17 people in England have it at the moment) and still travel?  With no tests?  And no masks in the airport or plane, in Spain or the UK? If I catch it on the outbound journey, and spend half my holiday in bed, can I still return as planned without the need for tests or isolation?

Yes, that is correct.

You need your NHS Covid Pass to travel to Spain and no longer require the SpTH declaration (though that remains as an alternative for people without the NHS Covid Pass).

In addition, when we travelled out (10th April) the rules were that the NHS Covid Pass was only valid if it showed that your last dose of vaccine was within 270 days.  I have not checked if that criteria remains.  I imagine it will change at some point because people will soon be reaching the end of the period - my wife, for example, had her booster jab in October so by the end of July would be outside the 270 days.  Again, if you cannot satisfy this, I understand the SpTH is an alternative.

There is no need to wear a mask in the airport UK.

The rules in Spain remain that you need to wear a mask at any indoor venue, that includes airports.  

We flew home yesterday (Sunday 24th) and were still required to wear a mask on the plane.  This was strictly enforced, if you did not have a mask on as you boarded, then the crew gave you a mask to put on there and then at the entrance door.

There is no test requirement to return to UK and the PLF was dropped a while back.

People might have COVID and travel, they might even be entirely unaware they have COVID.  Others might have COVID and be aware and still travel, though you would assume if people are actually unwell with COVID, they will not travel anyway (like any other ailment).  When I had COVID, I was certain it was not COVID and only took the test to demonstrate to people I was meant to be meeting for work that I was clear, until I returned the positive result.  If it had not been for that work meeting, I would never have tested and just carried on assuming I'd never had COVID.

CKhalvashi

Arthurian said:

I can scarcely believe this, so I'll ask here: for a trip to Spain now, all I need to do is show my NHS digital Covid pass?  So I could have Covid (according to the latest ONS statistics, 1 in 17 people in England have it at the moment) and still travel?  With no tests?  And no masks in the airport or plane, in Spain or the UK? If I catch it on the outbound journey, and spend half my holiday in bed, can I still return as planned without the need for tests or isolation?

Did this in January in Georgia when Covid had skyrocketed in the UK (although did have a test to get into Poland before this)

That's stricter than Poland's current rules, where on leaving/returning to UK, nothing needs to be shown in either direction.

katejo

Cross_Man said:

Arthurian said:

I can scarcely believe this, so I'll ask here: for a trip to Spain now, all I need to do is show my NHS digital Covid pass?  So I could have Covid (according to the latest ONS statistics, 1 in 17 people in England have it at the moment) and still travel?  With no tests?  And no masks in the airport or plane, in Spain or the UK? If I catch it on the outbound journey, and spend half my holiday in bed, can I still return as planned without the need for tests or isolation?

Yes, that is correct.

You need your NHS Covid Pass to travel to Spain and no longer require the SpTH declaration (though that remains as an alternative for people without the NHS Covid Pass).

In addition, when we travelled out (10th April) the rules were that the NHS Covid Pass was only valid if it showed that your last dose of vaccine was within 270 days.  I have not checked if that criteria remains.  I imagine it will change at some point because people will soon be reaching the end of the period - my wife, for example, had her booster jab in October so by the end of July would be outside the 270 days.  Again, if you cannot satisfy this, I understand the SpTH is an alternative.

There is no need to wear a mask in the airport UK.

The rules in Spain remain that you need to wear a mask at any indoor venue, that includes airports.  

We flew home yesterday (Sunday 24th) and were still required to wear a mask on the plane.  This was strictly enforced, if you did not have a mask on as you boarded, then the crew gave you a mask to put on there and then at the entrance door.

There is no test requirement to return to UK and the PLF was dropped a while back.

People might have COVID and travel, they might even be entirely unaware they have COVID.  Others might have COVID and be aware and still travel, though you would assume if people are actually unwell with COVID, they will not travel anyway (like any other ailment).  When I had COVID, I was certain it was not COVID and only took the test to demonstrate to people I was meant to be meeting for work that I was clear, until I returned the positive result.  If it had not been for that work meeting, I would never have tested and just carried on assuming I'd never had COVID.

I wonder which symptoms you did have then? When I had it, my symptoms were only mild cold symptoms (scratchy throat, husky voice for 48 hours, sneezing and a mild cough but the news was saying that these symptoms were far more likely to be caused by Covid. It still took 4/5 days before I got a positive PCR. I had 2 negative ones before that. If I book a trip now, and wake up with the beginnings of a cold on departure day , I just won't know what to do if a lateral flow is negative.

Cross_Man

katejo said:

I wonder which symptoms you did have then? When I had it, my symptoms were only mild cold symptoms (scratchy throat, husky voice for 48 hours, sneezing and a mild cough but the news was saying that these symptoms were far more likely to be caused by Covid. It still took 4/5 days before I got a positive PCR. I had 2 negative ones before that. If I book a trip now, and wake up with the beginnings of a cold on departure day , I just won't know what to do if a lateral flow is negative.

Well, initially, on that Friday when I was meant to be going to a work meeting, I just woke up feeling a bit groggy /tired and had the sniffles.  Really nothing at all which is why I was certain I was fine and the LFT would show negative and I'd be able to confirm to the people I was meeting that I was clear.  Anyway, the LFT showed positive so I did not attend the meeting (as per our company guidance).

I then got a fairly sore throat and cough plus sneezing, lots of phlegm.  But never actually felt "really bad", carried on working from home throughout (so not lost pay) and never felt so bad that I would have been off work if it were not for COVID.  It was not as bad as "man-flu", though I was more tired than usual and I am sure that resting in the evenings rather than being out and about must have helped.  

It did then take a long time to actually get the two-days consecutive clear LFT's.  Fortunately, the rules changed just before I travelled so vaccination certificate was enough, no need to have the 7 days clear.  I was clear though 2 or 3 days ahead of travel (with the second consecutive clear test 2 or 3 days ahead).

Arthurian

Thanks, all.  It's not pleasant knowing I could be sitting on the plane right next to someone with Covid, or even queueing at the airport near someone with "just the sniffles."   I don't fancy spending half of my much-postponed holiday week in bed.  I'll mask up with FFP3.

jon81uk

Arthurian said:

Thanks, all.  It's not pleasant knowing I could be sitting on the plane right next to someone with Covid, or even queueing at the airport near someone with "just the sniffles."   I don't fancy spending half of my much-postponed holiday week in bed.  I'll mask up with FFP3.

Thats the way it is going to be from now on. But you also don't know who has the flu or a cold, or who might have E. Coli or Norovirus on their hands.
If you are vaccinated need to accept that all kinds of virus exist and can make you ill and covid is one more of those.

I've lost two days of a holiday in the past due to food poisoning, these things happen.


I can't say I am happy about the government removing the free testing domestically, but the situation with flights has been the same for vaccinated travellers for some time, no pre-departure testing has been needed for months.

Cross_Man

Arthurian said:

It's not pleasant knowing I could be sitting on the plane right next to someone with Covid, or even queueing at the airport near someone with "just the sniffles."   

Agreed, but it makes COVID no different to any other illness, as Jon81 said. 
We all need to take our own responsibility for protection of ourselves and others.
The rules may change with time and between companies, but my airline had a "no cost change" for unwell on the day of travel.  Gladly I did not have to use that to find out how willingly the airline supported it.

jon81uk said:

I can't say I am happy about the government removing the free testing domestically,

I agree but, with the current guidelines being that you don't have to behave differently even with COVID, the actual tests are maybe not adding a great deal.  Those that have symptoms and will behave socially responsibly will do so whether they took a test or not.  Those that would ignore a positive test and carry on regardless will do so whether they took a test or not.  As I see it now, actually taking a test is no longer, of itself, driving behaviour changes.

silvercar

Cross_Man said:

Arthurian said:

It's not pleasant knowing I could be sitting on the plane right next to someone with Covid, or even queueing at the airport near someone with "just the sniffles."   

Agreed, but it makes COVID no different to any other illness, as Jon81 said. 
We all need to take our own responsibility for protection of ourselves and others.
The rules may change with time and between companies, but my airline had a "no cost change" for unwell on the day of travel.  Gladly I did not have to use that to find out how willingly the airline supported it.

jon81uk said:

I can't say I am happy about the government removing the free testing domestically,

I agree but, with the current guidelines being that you don't have to behave differently even with COVID, the actual tests are maybe not adding a great deal.  Those that have symptoms and will behave socially responsibly will do so whether they took a test or not.  Those that would ignore a positive test and carry on regardless will do so whether they took a test or not.  As I see it now, actually taking a test is no longer, of itself, driving behaviour changes.

There are many people who would still isolate after a positive test and in particular avoid vulnerable people, so testing still has a value. 

Cross_Man

Indeed, I did still isolate after the positive test.  Right up until I got two consecutive days clear.