The Experienced Traveller

26th September 2020

Updates and News

The UK Quarantine Dilemma

Update, September 25 Four more countries have been removed from Britain’s list of quarantine-free travel options: Denmark, Iceland, Slovakia and the Caribbean island of Curacao. From 4am on Saturday September 26 any arrivals from those destinations, including returning holidaymakers, will be required to self-isolate for 14 days.

Update, September 18 People arriving from Singapore and Thailand in England and Scotland will not need to quarantine from Saturday morning. They have been added to the list of quarantine-free countries. But travellers coming from Slovenia and Guadeloupe will have to self-isolate for two weeks. Both have also been added to Wales' quarantine list, while arrivals there from Gibraltar and Thailand will not need to self-isolate. The changes come into force at 04:00 BST on Saturday, September 19.

From Saturday 12 September arrivals from Portugal will have to self-isolate for fourteen days. Hungary and Reunion have also been added to the list for arrivals in England and Wales. But, arrivals in England and Wales from Sweden are no longer required to self-isolate. It is an increasingly changing and confusing situation prompting calls for a uniform policy across the four countries of the United Kingdom. Or, a better means of controlling COVID-19 such as airport testing.

Since the first list of quarantine-exempt countries was published on July 10 the many changes have been made and restrictions have been reapplied to countries, or areas, that were previously exempt:

12 September - Hungary and Reunion (travellers to Wales)
12 September - mainland Portugal, Hungary, Reunion and French Polynesia (travellers to England)
9 September - Greek islands Lesvos, Tinos, Serifos, Mykonos, Crete, Santorini and Zakynthos (Zante) (travellers to England and Northern Ireland)
5 September - Portugal and French Polynesia (travellers to Scotland)
4 September - Portugal, Gibraltar, French Polynesia and six Greek islands (travellers to Wales)
3 September - Greece (travellers to Scotland)
2 September -Zakynthos (travellers to Wales)
29 August - Czech Republic, Jamaica, Switzerland
22 August - Croatia, Austria, Trinidad and Tobago (plus Switzerland, for travellers to Scotland)
15 August - France, Netherlands, Malta, Monaco, Turks & Caicos, Aruba
8 August - Belgium, Andorra, Bahamas
31 July - Luxembourg
27 July – Spain

How the Quarantine List is Decided

The Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC) was established to monitor coronavirus. It works with the chief medical officers of each country in the UK and advises on places that should be on the list. In general quarantine will be imposed on arrivals from places where 20 or more people out of every 100,000 are infected over a period of 7 days. But this test is not definitive but other factors are also taken into consideration including the testing capacity in the place being considered for inclusion.

As each nation in the UK decides its own health policies the quarantine list is also their responsibility. This results in different lists for each country and added confusion for travellers. As of Saturday, September 12 travellers from the following countries are considered to pose a "reduced-risk" from coronavirus - in the government's eyes – and are exempt from quarantine on arrival in the UK:

Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Azores, Barbados, BES Islands, Cuba, Curaçao, Cyprus, Denmark, Dominica, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Fiji, Finland, Germany, Greece (except seven islands, from 9 September), Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Hong Kong, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Macau, Madeira, Malaysia, Mauritius, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, San Marino, Seychelles, South Korea, St Barthélemy, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Pierre and Miquelon, Slovakia, Slovenia, St Vincent and the Grenadine, Sweden, Taiwan, Turkey, Vatican City, Vietnam

Restrictions on Travellers from the United Kingdom

Travellers leaving the UK must also consider whether or not restrictions will be imposed on arrival at their destination. Each country operates a different policy which should be checked before travel plans are formalised. There are two very useful websites that keep up to date with current restrictions if any. Re-open EU was established by the European Union (EU0, to help travellers plan their trip to destinations within the EU. It has up to date information about restrictions at the borders of each member state. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has created the Timatic Database an online interactive map of the world. It records up to date Covid-19 entry regulations for international travel to every country in the world.

Buon Viaggio!

Dates For Your Diary

Not Going Anywhere Any Time Soon

Coping with Isolation at Home - Keeping Fit and Healthy

In the past I have actually chosen to self-isolate in order to deal with rehabilitation after major surgery, including total replacement of both knees in one operation. For six weeks I concentrated on getting fit for work and nothing else. I developed a strategy to cope with this situation which I referred to as hibernating as self-isolation or total lockdown sounds stark and lonely. It need not be. These are the main points of my strategy:

Set up a home gym
Research recommended exercises on the internet
Daily outdoor exercise – walking, jogging or a bike ride
Establish a daily routine
Plan a project, learn a new skill, join an online class
Plan a healthy diet and avoid too many ‘treats’

1 Set up a home gym

It is important to have a dedicated space for your home gym so that it is always available. I think the most important piece of equipment is an exercise bike. It does not need to be a fancy one with a computer, television screen etc. But it does need to be stable with a resistance setting. Be wary of the folding models as some of them can be unstable. Read the reviews before deciding especially in relation to putting the bike together. Don’t go for the cheapest bikes you should be able to find a bike that is perfectly adequate for around £100. You will find a good selection on websites like Argos who will deliver. Whatever else I do I always spend 20 minutes on my exercise bike with a 30-second burst at the end to get the heart pumping.

Any other equipment you buy will depend on the exercise regime you decide to follow as some don’t require any equipment at all eg isometrics and calisthenics. I bought a wobble board and weights to strap on my ankles for my rehabilitation exercises otherwise I worked with stairs, chairs, my breakfast bar and I filled a drawer with books to create a step.

2 Research on the Internet for Recommended Exercises

There is so much information on the internet these days it takes time to work through it all. Personally, I favour isometrics, basically stretches, which are effective, easy to do and generally don’t require any equipment. Isometrics will maintain fitness but are not designed to build up strength. You will find a good introduction to these exercises on this uTube video

Calisthenics is an exercise regime that does not require weights or other equipment that is designed to use your own body weight to increase body strength and flexibility. You will find a good introduction for beginners on this UTube video.

If your rehabilitation programme has been interrupted by the coronavirus epidemic keep doing the exercises recommended by your physiotherapist. Most important is making sure you do them every day and ideally three times each day – but be guided by the information you have been given by the hospital. The website Therapia offers rehabilitation videos following different types of surgery but do make sure the exercises suggested do not conflict with the advice given by your own surgeon or physiotherapist. I found this exercise sheet particularly helpful post total knee replacement surgery

Special note for those who have had joint replacement surgery postponed. It is still important to keep fit as this will help you to recover more quickly when you do have the replacement. Having practiced pre-habilitation before having both knees replaced I am personally aware of the benefits of doing this. I found both my exercise bike and my road bike were invaluable in the weeks prior to surgery when my knees were really painful. Isometric exercises are also good as they involve stretching different groups of muscles so painful areas can be avoided.

3 Outdoor Exercise

During this period of self-isolation and lockdown are allowed to go out once a day for exercise. Make it count by including some cardio-vascular exercises for example, jogging, brisk walking, cycling up a hill. I always go out on my own which makes social distancing easier. I have devised my own circuit. I start by jogging a short distance (cardio-vascular) then walking briskly to a designated point. I then turn back towards home but take my time, just enjoying being outside for a while.

4 Establish a Daily Routine

During each period of ‘hibernation’ I was quick to establish a daily routine and I did so soon after starting a period of self-isolation following a trip to Northern Italy. As I still wake up early I go for my walk early. I then spend at least an hour checking posts on social media (Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter) inter-acting with the more interesting posts and messaging friends. You may like to set up your own Facebook Group or WhatsApp group to encourage and support each other during this period.

Next task checking and sending emails before my mid-morning coffee. I then get on with my project which I will probably work on for the rest of the day. The current project is to go through all the thousands of photographs I have taken over the past ten years and store them in some sort of logical order so they can be easily found.

5 Start a Project/Learn a New Skill/Join an Online Class

Having to stay at home for a few weeks is the ideal time to start working on a project – that book you have been meaning to write, the language you always said you wanted to speak. There are many online courses in a variety of subjects.

For those who just want to keep fit and need encouragement to do so why not join an online class such as yoga, pilates or buy some instruction DVDs

6 Eat a Healthy Diet and Avoid too Many ‘Treats’

Take advantage of your daily shop for necessities to plan a healthy diet. This is also another opportunity for a walk if there are food shops nearby. I know all of us with a sweet tooth will find it hard to resist those sweet treats calling to you from the cupboard so ration yourself – eat a piece of fruit instead. Shop early when morning deliveries have just arrived.

Most important of all - look for the positives and opportunities in this difficult time for everyone. And remember, social distancing is vital.

26th September 2020

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