Enter and Exit London In the Dark Days of Covid

 

Enter and Exit London In the Dark Days of Covid

 

Surely my three faithful readers noticed my absence, even though no emails came my way, bemoaning their loss, and begging for blog articles to lighten their loads and light up their lives.  Well, you see, I’ve been abroad, to the land of King Arthur, Robin Hood, Will Shakespeare and a long list of sovereigns.  

 

How do English school kids manage to remember all the names of kings and queens?  No idea, but I do know how they keep track of Henry VIII’s six wives. “Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived.”

 

Cute jingle, but back to the topic…

 

Getting to the UK these days takes fortitude.  With the scourge of the world, the Chinese flu, upon us, doors have slammed and No Entry signs posted, but at last, things are beginning to brighten.  Good thing.  My thirst for Brit beer was becoming a problem.

 

So, what do you have to do to gain entry to (and exit from) the United Kingdom?  Here’s a list:

 

1.    Get your covid shots.

2.    Purchase your airline ticket. 

3.    Fill out the air carrier’s forms and follow the link to the UK forms

4.    Fill out the 4 page UK form about when you are arriving, leaving, where you are staying, and sign up for a covid test for when you get there.

5.    Just to be sure, I took a covid test within 72 hours of my flight, because if you get to the UK and test positive, you will be quarantined for 8 days. (the time period seems to change semi-secondly)

6.    Present proof of vaccination, passport and completed UK form when you check-in for your flight. Masks required for the entire flight, except when you’re eating and drinking.

7.    Take your UK covid test within 2 days of arriving in the UK and post the results to the company whose test you took.  This is tricky.  Only one test per email address, and once you use two people for one email address, good luck trying to get the second one EVER posted. I found that out after talking to the testing company off and on for three days trying to clear things up.  I also found that that no one EVER bothered to track me down.

8.    Time to enjoy yourself in London

BUT

9.    Within 72 hours of flying out of the UK, you must be tested for covid before boarding your flight home.  This is a U.S.A. requirement and all documents must be presented at check-in. Pharmacy across the street from my hotel handled this for about $65.

 

Next question:  How strict are the covid restrictions in London?

 

Everywhere you go there are signs that mandate that masks be worn.  This is largely ignored by one and all.  At Boroughs Market, people were so packed in that I could not get to a stall to buy anything.  Perhaps ten percent of the folks wore masks, although all the vendors did.

 

Tubes, the same way.  Stores, the same.  However, different story for pharmacies, other medical facilities, and theater performances.  At one play, not only were masks required, but the ushers checked our proof of vaccination.

 

Never saw a mask in a pub or a restaurant, or a bookstore.

 

In short, with few exceptions, in Britain, the strict mask rule is not very strictly enforced.

 

The day after I got back in the U.S.A. I started feeling bad, so I got tested one more time.  Positive for covid.  One terrible night and then things got better fast.  The doctor I saw suggested shots of Regeneron.  I took his advice and as advertised I felt much better within a day.  Four shots.  Two in each thigh.  Given all at once and with the caveat:  Don’t get the covid booster for a couple of months.

 

Now I have all the paperwork to prove I am both positive and negative!  Welcome to international travel! But, I did enjoy the beer!