If you’ve decided to come back from being off-grid, you may have missed Foreign Secretary Raab announce the fact you’ll need to quarantine for 10 nights at a hotel if you return from a country on the “Red” list. Remember this is Feb 2021, not Feb 2020… 12 months on
The Red list countries
- Angola
- Argentina
- Bolivia
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Burundi
- Cape Verde
- Chile
- Colombia
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Ecuador
- Eswatini
- French Guiana
- Guyana
- Lesotho
- Malawi
- Mauritius
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Portugal (including Madeira and the Azores)
- Rwanda
- Seychelles
- South Africa
- Suriname
- Tanzania
- United Arab Emirates (UAE)
- Uruguay
- Venezuela
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
What it’s going to cost you
For a single person flying home to the UK from any of the above countries, you’ll need to fork over £1750 for an 11-night quarantine stay. If you’re travelling with someone it’ll be an extra £650 for that person if they’re over 12. If they’re between 5-12, it’ll “only” be £325.
So, as a couple £2,400… for a family of 4 atleast £3,050…
And now for the kicker…
You won’t be getting a room like in the opening image. This could be your room… 11 nights in this beauty with no going outside unless you’re escorted by a security guard for a limited period of time.
The math’s
Burst out the fag packets, its numbers time. Ibis will typically run you £500~ for 10 nights for 2 people including breakfast. Say you use double the government’s figure of what a child should be able to live on a week £30. That’s £176 for 2 adults for food for 10 nights. 2x covid tests twice that’s £260 from Bupa. Oh let’s not forget you get a shuttle bus to the hotel, we’ll put that down as a very generous £20 for 2.
With a rough bit of rounding and being very generous, a couple of 2 should be paying £900-1000 for those 10 nights. £2,400 – £1,000 = £1,400.
£1,400… where does that £1,400 go?