The British Government declares that travelers from 33 countries, Including brazil, Hotels must go through compulsory quarantine so that Brazilians can pursue return flights Britain. This measure was estimated by the British media for a few days, but Only 5, was confirmed by the British Department of Health and Welfare on Friday, And will be valid from the 15th.
27-year-old digital content producer Fernand Guimares came to Brazil with her husband to spend holidays with her family. On 24 December, when the country closed the border for direct flights with the United Kingdom, Fernanda decided to extend her stay to enjoy her vacation. However, on Instagram, he started receiving messages about rumors of mandatory quarantine in hotels.
With the flight taking place on 9 February, Fernanda oversaw the shocking news from the statement of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on 27 January, in which he talked about the measure that would be taken. “We suffered so much”, she remembers. “Despite the news, we did not know when it would be implemented. We feared February 9 would be too late.”
Fernanda and her husband hurried to take the PCR test and canceled the flight for 2 February with a stopover in Madrid. “Getting here (in London) was very stressful. The flight was very crowded, with many Brazilians and a lot of document verification ”, he says. Arriving in the UK, it took 1h30 to complete the entire process, which she considers quick given the number of people.
Now Fernanda will have to follow a 10-day quarantine. “We have already received a message and a call from the government explaining the rules and taking all steps”, he says, happy to be able to stay at home.
The tension was slightly higher for 35-year-old Fernando Bispo. A London resident for nearly 12 years, the sales manager decided to take advantage of the extra time in Brazil, because of the flexibility of the home office. “There is no hurry to return, I will enjoy the sun, the heat and the family. After all, when am I going to bring that opportunity again? “, He said.
About two weeks ago, Fernanda began worrying about rumors of mandatory quarantine and turned to friends who work in hotels in the United Kingdom to investigate the information. However, it was only after Johnson’s announcement that he began making plans to return home immediately.
“I bought a ticket for Saturday, 6 February. But this made me nervous and I tried to change the date. Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays were full of flights and I saw it was going to happen, everyone wanted to leave. I had it Thursday 4 with a stopover in Madrid. “I understand they have to do it, but it was a fear of not having a date. When I saw that February 15 was confirmed, I was already at the airport.” Fernanda says his friend Joe Travel They are also fleeing to London. “Nobody wants to be locked up in a hotel.”
Flights were reshuffled three times
Flavia Rocha, a 31-year-old advertising executive, had to change her airline and cancel her flight three times to fly back to the UK. “My flight would be a stopover in Portugal, but I assumed that it would be canceled when the borders closed. Flavia explains that I did not receive any assistance from the airline and had to buy another ticket.
With the February 8 flight scheduled, Brazilians began to see more and more news about mandatory quarantine in hotels. “From the government’s record, I felt it would take about two weeks to be confirmed, so I knew I needed to estimate my flight,” he says.
The first rescheduling was on 1 February, but she would make a halt in Amsterdam and the Netherlands closed the border with the United Kingdom. The company changed the date to Day 3, but the mandatory PCR test for entry into the country was not ready in time. Finally, she managed to make a comeback show with a stopover in Paris on 4 February. “It was complicated, but everything went well.”
Three Brazilians reported harshness in examining the documents upon arriving in the United Kingdom. Having a British or European passport does not matter – everyone goes in the same queue to report to the authorities. A negative PCR test, proof of residency and a government form, locator form are required. They also report that people coming from any of the 33 countries on the travel ban list are directed to another room for documentary scrutiny.
“They look at everything and ask why did you travel, why are you returning.” But, with me, they were very polite and said that I wasn’t doing anything wrong, because usually, when they send you to that room it’s because they will deport you “, jokes Fernando Bispo . “They just needed to check that everything was right.”
For Flavia, it is important that passengers arrive at the airport with official information. He said, “I felt very strange. I saw people complaining in line, but you need to prepare. My tip is that if you are going to return, the best place to check what is needed is the official website of the British Government. I recommend taking all printed documents, you cannot depend on the airport internet.
People with a domestic connection will not be required to quarantine at the hotel at each stopping point, but even those who have the virus or were already vaccinated will have to undergo isolation, points out Free. According to the newspaper, Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, ruled out the possibility of financial support from the government, meaning the payment of accommodation expenses by the passenger.
According to the British government, more details on how passengers are able to make reservations for designated accommodation will be defined next week. There is no estimate of completion of this new measure.
