Staying safe on your staycation

Posted

11th June 2021

Research

With the weather warming up and holidays abroad still uncertain, many of us are planning a staycation this year. In this week’s article, we discuss everything from where you can visit to what to pack, to help you stay safe on your staycation.

Where can I go on holiday?

Coronavirus is continuing to spread in many parts of the world. As a result, the UK government has published a list of countries that you should not travel to on the ‘red list’ and ‘amber list’. There are specific instructions about testing and self-isolation associated with travel to these countries.

Green countries

  • For green countries, you need to take a lateral flow test before you go, pay for a PCR test to be taken 2 days after your return, and don’t need to self-isolate for 10 days.

Amber countries

  •  For amber countries, you need to take a lateral flow test before you go, pay for a PCR test to be taken 2 days and 8 days after your return, and need to self-isolate at home for 10 days.

Red countries

  • For red countries, you need to take a lateral flow test before you go, and pay for a 10 day stay in a quarantine hotel after your return (which includes PCR tests on day 2 and 8).

If you are planning to travel abroad, you also need to take the entry and exit requirements of the country of origin and any countries that you are transiting through into account. These measures apply whether or not you have been vaccinated.

You should follow separate advice if you need to quarantine in:

Travel in the UK

Due to the current challenges of overseas travel, many are deciding to stay in the UK (or in whichever country they are in) rather than try to travel abroad. Even in the UK though, risks remain, especially with the rapid spread of the Delta variant (that was first identified in India). As are result, some additional restrictions are in place in some small sections of the UK.

Who can I go on holiday with?

Currently, in England, people can meet outdoors in groups of up to 30, and indoors in groups of up to 6 or larger groups if only 2 households are involved. These numbers are different in other parts of the UK. You’ll need to follow the rules that apply depending on which part of the UK you are travelling to.

For more information, please visit the gov.uk website.

How do I stay safe on my holiday?

The way that coronavirus spreads doesn’t change when you go on your staycation, so we need to follow the same prevention measures: hands, surfaces, respiratory hygiene, regular testing, physical distancing and ventilation.

Follow these steps:

  • Carry hand sanitiser and surface wipes.
  • Pack plenty of masks or face coverings. Be careful when you use them too – they need to cover your nose and mouth securely, and you should consider the front of the mask contaminated with coronavirus once you have worn it.
  • Maintain a 2 metre physical distance where possible from those you do not share a household with.
  • Take regular lateral flow tests – at least twice weekly.
  • Maximise fresh air by increasing ventilation.
  • Get vaccinated as soon as it is available to you and encourage others to do so.
  • Make sure your accommodation meets the “We’re good to go” COVID industry standard.

We hope you found our staycation tips useful and are able to make the most of the summer months! Please bear in mind, government guidelines regularly change so be sure to monitor the gov.uk website closely for updates.

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