Do you really want to go through all this crap & expense ?
Taken from Lancashire Evening Post 15/03.2021.
[23:50, 15/03/2021] Andrew Neale has spent nearly two weeks in quarantine in Frankfurt where he learned he had tested positive for Covid whilst on a lay over from Bangkok to Manchester on March 2. In a tragic twist, the 35-year-old had been flying home to attend the funeral of his dad - Preston bus driver Clive Neale - who died from Covid February 27.
As per UK regulations, Andrew was required to take a quick PCR test at Frankfurt Airport at a cost of €275 (£236), before boarding his flight to the UK. But he said he had none of the known symptoms and was confident that in a few hours he would be home with his grieving family in Preston.
But just moments before boarding, Andrew's phoned pinged with his test result. He was 'devastated' to learn that he had tested positive for Covid-19.
"I called my sister and we both burst into tears realising I'd miss my dad's funeral," he said. "I learnt that I was positive by an automated email as I was about to board the plane to Manchester. Because I was already past the check-in desks, I could have easily boarded the Manchester plane like normal. "But obviously, I couldn't allow myself to do that. Instead, I went to the police and told them the situation. They seemed to have no idea what to do with me, so I sat on a bench for more than six hours, just waiting.
"Eventually, they said I'd need to stay at a quarantine hotel for 15 days - costing 170 euros per night. I couldn't believe it.
"Then they said there would be a separate fee for food and I would need to pay another 275 euros for the second Covid test in two weeks. I was devastated."
He was detained by three police officers in full protective suits before being escorted out of the airport and placed in a taxi that took him to his 'quarantine hotel', where he has spent the past two weeks cooped up at a cost of £146 per night.
[23:52, 15/03/2021] Stranded and alone in Frankfurt, Andrew said he was frantic at the thought of missing his dad's funeral and how he was going to pay for his two week stay in quarantine.
But his family assured him that last-minute arrangements had been made to postpone his dad's funeral, whilst his friends in Preston rallied together to raise money to cover some of the costs.
He will take another Covid test on Tuesday (March 16) and if he tests negative, he will finally be allowed to board a flight home to Manchester.
"That's the situation I'm in now. If tomorrow's result is negative, I’ll need to buy another ticket to England but at least I'll be on my way home.
AF
