France to UK quarantine rules - does anybody out there have the definitive answer?

[alexincornwall]

Not my intention to open another can of same-old-same-old here, but would love to know the definitive answer because we're getting conflicting answers from the official sources.

We (two adults, two kids), recently returned from France after the new quarantine regulations fell into place. Unavoidable as we were simply too far South to make it home when the deadline was announced. We have received different answers from multiple sources as to when our quarantine begins and ends.

Timeline as follows:

26/8 @ 1500 FST - Departed Camaret.
27/8 @ 1115 BST - Arrived Falmouth (public pontoon). At this point we were boarded by Border force and completed passenger locator forms. We spent the night here to catch up on some sleep following a lively channel crossing.
28/8 @ 1200 BST - Boat returned to our swinging mooring and we promptly returned home.

So, does our quarantine begin the moment we left the dock in France? Does it begin the moment we enter British waters? Does it begin the moment we are made fast on the visitor's pontoon? Or, does it begin the moment we arrive home?

Boarder Force were unsure as to when things started and ended but suggested the moment we made fast on the visitor's pontoon.
Some harbour notices are suggesting 14 days from the date/time of departing France.
Some .gov information suggests when we arrived home.
Somebody from the "self isolation helpline" has just advised, after asking his colleague, that the 14 days began counting down the moment we entered UK waters. Still didn't sound particularly sure.

A bit of a shambles. We're going a bit stir crazy at home but more importantly, the difference here is 1-2 days of missed schooling for the kids. We've been 100% compliant but we want to get moving not a moment later than we're allowed.

Has anybody been in a similar position and have anything to offer?

 

[footsoldier]

I too am quarantined since returning from France yesterday.

I cannot recall where I read it, but when looking into the quarantine rules, I spotted a similar query and a seemingly authoritative source replied that the clock starts ticking only when your feet touch UK soil. I'm afraid I can't remember who said it.

 

[Black Sheep]

The legislation says:
"(7) P must, on their arrival in England, travel directly to the place at which they are to self-isolate, and must then self-isolate until whichever is the earlier of—

(a) the end of the 14th day after the day on which they last departed from or transited through a non-exempt country or territory, or

(b) their departure from England."

(I think (b) is for when you're transitting through England)

My interpretation is you need to isolate until the end of the 14th day after you left Cameret, which I reckon must be tomorrow night (Weds 9th)
Reference: The Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (England) Regulations 2020
Paragraph 7 of section 4

 

[prv]

My interpretation is you need to isolate until the end of the 14th day after you left Cameret

Going by the wording you quoted, I agree. And it's also what makes sense (to the extent that the scheme does at all) - if you were exposed in France, the virus doesn't care whether you were holed up at home on any given day or bashing across the Channel. The progress of the potential infection was not paused to begin when your foot hit dry land, and neither should the quarantine period be.

Pete

 

[alexincornwall]

Going by the wording you quoted, I agree. And it's also what makes sense (to the extent that the scheme does at all) - if you were exposed in France, the virus doesn't care whether you were holed up at home on any given day or bashing across the Channel. The progress of the potential infection was not paused to begin when your foot hit dry land, and neither should the quarantine period be.

Pete

I agree. We would have been in total isolation from the moment we cast off at Camaret so it makes sense for the 14 days to begin then (though recognise that it wouldn't officially end until 0000 on the 10/9. I am surprised by the lack of guidance on this, particularly by the officials that are supposedly upholding it!

 

[LadyInBed]

My interpretation is you need to isolate until the end of the 14th day after you left Cameret

That makes most sense if it were just down to commonsense and would be the way I would calculate it, but as you have found, ask six people and you will get seven answers!

 

[Poignard]

Surely the only date the UK authorities can rely on is the day you arrived in the UK, since that is something they can verify from their own records.?

 

[Stork_III]

Surely the only date the UK authorities can rely on is the day you arrived in the UK, since that is something they can verify from their own records.?

What you say agrees with the Gov website "advice", but not the Law as enacted.

 

[Black Sheep]

In this instance, coming from France, the difference is only a day.

An interesting scenario is that if you've sailed from the Azores, over the course of more than 14 days, then by my reading of the legislation, there is no need to self-isolate. If you made the passage in 10 days, you'd have just 4 days isolation.

 

[PlanB]

This sort of gives the answer : Coronavirus (COVID-19): how to self-isolate when you travel to the UK

 

[Stork_III]

This sort of gives the answer : Coronavirus (COVID-19): how to self-isolate when you travel to the UK

But that doesn't correspond to the Law as enacted.

 

[Black Sheep]

Unfortunately the guidance contradicts itself:

you will not be allowed to leave the place where you’re staying for the first 14 days you’re in the UK (known as ‘self-isolating’)

have been in a country that is not exempt within the last 14 days, you will need to self-isolate for the remainder of the 14 days since you were in a non-exempt country.

(my bold in both cases)

The problem is the Guidance is generic, for the normal case of arriving by scheduled ferry, airliner or train, where you arrive in England the same day you left the other country. Sailing by private yacht, on a voyage that may take over 24 hours, is not accounted for in the guidance, so you need to go to the legislation.

You won't go far wrong following the guidance - it'll usually be more strict than the law, and if not, claiming you were following official .gov.uk guidance might be a defence. But you might be overdoing things rather. Only a day in the OP's case, but by up to 2 weeks for a longer distance voyager.

 

[prv]

I am surprised by the lack of guidance on this

You’re expecting competence from the clown-car of imbeciles currently purporting to run the country?

Pete