Brits Abroad.

[Bigbad]

There have been many reports on the news about Brits stuck abroad, with interviews showing people saying that they had been kicked out of hotels, and the cost of flights being extortionate.
(Although, I must admit, I’ve not seen any reports in the last few days).

As the duration of most holidays is 1 - 2 weeks, my questions are, did these people go on holiday after this virus really took a hold, and if so, why?
And are they being quarantined once they get back to the UK?

[fiction-factory]

Most holiday companies stopped flying out there several weeks ago so some probably went on prebooked flights/packages when cancelling by them would have meant no refund as flights were allowed.
Some are people on long gap year type breaks in Peru etc.
Some were on 6 week cruises.
I know quite a few people with a home here and one in Spain/France/Canaries some of whom are trying to get back.
Some people work abroad- a family member works abroad for 48 weeks of the year but has had to come back to uK to work from home.

I don't think there any quarantine process if they are well. On balance they are no more likely to be infected than is someone already here, but I can see an argument for why take the risk of putting any extra pressure on NHS. I' not sure where we'd quarantine though- would need to be isolated in hotel rooms near airports I suppose with food brought to them

[Tuvok]

A relative is abroad - staying with family, so no problems about accommodation - was due back in April, now due back in June.

[Bigbad]

I thought perhaps they could be quarantined like the cruise ship passengers were.

Some of the people have talked about being due back at work, so they are the folk who I assumed were just on a regular 1 - 2 week holiday.

[Prudie]

Don't forget people were caught out because flights were cancelled due to this all at once at the very last minute. The day it happened many people were in the air off to Spain etc and their planes turned round mid-air. I have friends who went through check-in and to the boarding gate as normal and were then told flight cancelled. It wasn't a gradual process people could plan for.

[Bigbad]

I get that, Prudie, but those people didn’t get to their destination, so didn’t need repatriating.

[fiction-factory]

Yes but all those who went the day before or a few days before or earlier needed bringing back- and most of the normal flights to do that were cancelled.

[Bigbad]

Oh well, I hope they all get/got home OK.
Just from a personal point of view, I think I’d have cancelled a holiday abroad once it all kicked off with the cruise ships, and the business man who went from China, to a skiing holiday and then back to the UK, was shown to have the virus.