please help with quarantine changes
 

We are scheduled to travel to London on December 29th. I know that we need to test 2 days before leaving the US and test 24 hours before returning. We need to complete the locator form 48 hours before we depart the US. We also need to test when we arrive in the UK within 2 days and quarantine till we get the results. Is there any place to get a rapid test? I thought I read something that we also need to book a room package with meals for 10 days to quarantine in case we are positive. Does anyone know if this is correct? At this time we have hotel reservations for only 4 days in London and then we plan to travel to the Cotswold, Bath, etc and make reservations a couple of days in advance. It looks as though we need to indicate on the locator form where we will be for our entire trip. Does anyone know if this is correct?
I am trying to change/cancel some reservations that we have but am having some challenges. I will appreciate any help.

There are testing options at Heathrow

https://www.expresstest.co.uk/london...rive%20Through

It’s not compulsory to book a room package for 10 days. Of course, if you test positive then you have to quarantine and arrange food.

With case numbers rising and the possibility of lockdown increasing, I would urge you to consider if you really need to make this trip.

There isn't such a thing as a rapid test for day 2 arrivals into the UK. The test you need is a Day 2 PCR test. It is a slightly different test to the regular PCR test. You can take the test on arrival at Heathrow (assuming you fly into Heathrow) with ExpressTest who have a couple of locations at the terminals. Try to book it soon as they do get booked up. I tried to book for earlier this week and they were full in 2 terminals so had to head out to Randox where they have a testing location behind the Radisson Edwardian.
I had the test at about 3.15pm on arrival day and I got the results back by about 11.30am next day. So there wasn't much time lost on quarantine.

If you test positive with the day 2 PCR test, I believe you will be contacted by the NHS Test and Track service. There is no need to book a package for 10 days.

tidy: I would strongly advise you to cancel the trip :( And that is from someone who had a GREAT trip less than 2 weeks ago. BUT the entire landscape has turned upside down in the last 10 days. 'Plan B' in England is complicating enough - but now the UK is talking about locking down as tight or tighter than last winter. Meaning any indoors activities will be eliminated or severely limited. And with the omicron variant everywhere inn the population, it is very likely you will catch it while there. Omicron itself is not that big a deal IMO since cases have mostly been very mild and almost no deaths. BUT it seems to be very VERY contagious so you could easily get it, be symptom free but yet test positive which would ruin your trip and seriously complicate your travel back to the States.

Everything should be totally refundable since the lock down announcements in the last few days. And your airline tix can either be refunded or you can get a future travel voucher (with new travel restriction on the horizon it is likely your fights will be cancelled or res-scheduled anyway)

Govt info: How to quarantine at home after international travel - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

If you did test positive you would need to remain in the place you are staying for the first few days, for the full 10. I don't know how that works with your hotel.

I live in England, and with the new omicron outbreak I’m not even sure I will be able to visit my daughter, who lives on the other side of London, for Christmas. It’s pointless to speculate, because things are changing day by day. You might want to keep checking the live reports on the BBC News website:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-59716357

As of last night we had 7 deaths from Omicron ~100,000 daily infections reported so more like 400,000 in reality.
I live in England and like others we are preparing for Christmas while preparing for the place to lock down. Politically locking down Christmas is just about an impossibility but locking down after Christmas for 2 weeks looks to be on the card. I have two guests coming from Scotland for Christmas and I expect them to cancel before long.

So, frankly, don't come.

we are trying to cancel but we will not get a refund unless we can't travel. So far I have not seen any further restrictions about traveling yet. I thought for sure there would be something this morning but I have not seen anything yet. we bought play tickets through a 3rd party vendor and they will not respond.

What won't refund? 3rd party theatre tickets might be a problem (why one would buy tix from a 3rd party is a topic for a different day -- but why?? ) But in the scheme of things I certainly would not base my decision a couple of £50 or £80 theatre tix. Most other things should be cancelable.

If you can't get airline tickets refunded you should at least get full value in future travel vouchers. But I wouldn't cancel those until a day or two before your flights -- because the odds are pretty good the schedule will change by several hours or the flight even cancelled. If that happens you are due a full refund.

Now I'd definitely cancel/reschedule - no question. Per the London press (Times/Telegraph/Guardian) there are proposals on the table for a 2 week 'circuit breaker' starting any day now. No final decision made yet but Gov't ministers are pretty open about it possibly happening. "The Times disclosed on Saturday that the government has drawn up plans for a two-week circuit breaker, which would mean people barred from visiting other households and limit hospitality to outdoor service." Not a time to be in England IMHO.

. . . which would also mean your play would be cancelled.

Has anything ACTUALLY been decided? Or is this panicky speculation.

Why cancel before any official action? Wouldn't it be more straightforward to apply for refunds after any official lockdown, should it happen, which isn't a foregone conclusion?

OP might end up in the position where travel is allowed, but she couldn't do anything here, which would make it all a bit pointless. Who wants to spend their holiday in a hotel room?

I did postpone our trip till the end of January. It was too uncertain with airline cancellations and test shortages both in the US and Uk.

I strongly suspect that England at the end of January may be in no better condition COVID wise than it is now and maybe worse.

I also wouldn't expect much difference. No further restrictions announced for London AFAIK.

As said, test shortages in the US and flight cancellations are the present issue, not closures.

But it's still a guesing game.

What test shortages are you referring to in the U.K.?

Just to clarify (apologies to the OP for any rebbit-trail here) I thought Randox advertised a PCR test with results in 3 hours? I understand that wouldn't be the same as a rapid-test but would it not fulfill the requirement to self-isolate as long as one is negative? TIA

No it would not, you have to book a specific Day 2 PCR test, unless the description of what you are booking states the test is suitable as a day 2 PCR for arriving in the U.K. Rapid PCR tests are also not suitable as a Day 2 PCR.
I believe the tests are slightly different. You can contact Randox for clarification or any of the test providers, Collinson, Expresstest and Eurofins are quite responsive.

There are some shortages if you want to buy tests at pharmacies for use at home. As far as I know the test centers have enough.
You can get a rapid PCR test result if you pay extra. We did regular tests - didn't matter as we were at home in UK. One regular PCR test took 31 hours to get back, the other only 19 hours. This was Bio-Group. They say results for a regular PCR will be available before 6 pm the next day. 55 pounds regular test, 99 for the rapid one (results by midnight if tested before 12pm or at 6 am if tested after 12 pm). These are in-clinic tests.