Quarantine after positive test

If everyone did these faux "shadow" bookings, that would just contribute to the supply problem by taking otherwise available rooms out of the inventory - it's a self-reinforcing spiral. I wouldn't do it. Why do you think it would be that hard to find a hotel room, even last minute? Just use a search engine like booking.com or one of the last minute booking sites. It's rare that everything is taken unless there's a major event (in a big/bigger city) or you're in a very small place with few lodging choices.

There's another thread about this somewhere. I agree with Agnes, your "just in case" booking could keep someone else from getting a room, and also keep the hotel from getting a paying guest after you cancel at the last minute. If you're taking the precautions you should while traveling, your chance of a positive test is low. If you do test positive, you'll get help from the local testers and/or health authorities about where to stay. What country are you concerned about?

Interesting article in the NYT this week on the quarantine issue. An American woman got stuck in the Netherlands for 3 weeks recently after testing positive until she got a clean test result that allowed her to leave quarantine and fly home. While one has to believe that is an extreme outcome, nonetheless there are very real risks involved in traveling outside the US. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/04/travel/covid-test-positive-traveling-overseas.html

Many travel insurance companies have a concierge service that can aid with lodging and other quarantine issues in addition to covering expenses.

last minute bookings would help you, Booking.com is an option

JoJo, the NYT article is excellent and has some very good information. Thanks for sharing!

The woman in the NYT article was unaware of the requirements
She didn’t need a negative test, could have flown with recovery letter at 10 days.

Important to know what the host country, your airlines and CDC require.

“ An American woman got stuck in the Netherlands for 3 weeks recently after testing positive until she got a clean test result that allowed her to leave quarantine and fly home. ”

It seems the American woman in the NYT-article was not very well informed and in her turn is now wrongly informing others. In the Netherlands you do not need a negative test to leave quarantine. After a positive test with symptoms you must isolate for a minimum of 5 days and a maximum of 10 days. Once you’ve hit day 5 and are symptom free for 24 hours, you may leave isolation immediately.
I don’t know about the entry requirements for the USA, but it seems from the post by ChristineH she could have flown home with a recovery letter.

So it seems that he most important preparation to be done is to educate yourself about the COVID and quarantine rules in the country you’re traveling to and the entry requirements of the country you want to return to. I think that’s far more important than booking a hotel room you will very likely cancel at the last minute. Which I feel is a very unfair thing to do.

To: Christine H.
"....The woman in the NYT article was unaware of the requirements".

A recovery letter is a giant hoop: first you have to find an online source (QuickMD is one) and get in their queue, go through some kind of process, and pay $75 for the privilege. US primaries are mere gatekeepers for insurance companies & won't help with anything, let alone an overseas problem...if you have one you're very fortunate.

The expense of getting home can be tremendous: rebooking flights, hotel rooms, test costs, on and on.

We will be focused on getting that day before departure test and monitoring our status with self-tests beforehand. Holding our breath with that. The test requirement is a US airline one, which is absurd bc masks are off everywhere in the US, including airlines, airports and those crowded airport buses.
JP

Yes I know that
But I’ve done my research ahead of time
This woman clearly did not
I also have travel insurance that will cover any isolation/trip extension/rebooking costs.

It is not an airline requirement, it is a CDC requirement we should all be aware of.

Seems to me $75 is a small amount to pay compared to the endless days/ cost in isolation until you test negative, which may never happen.

( I wish the airlines had requirements for masking, vaccination, etc as I had to risk flying cross country domestically twice last summer)

Travel is a risk and a bit of a hassle right now and IMO anyone traveling should be aware if the risks and requirements before they leave the country.

They should also be aware of any requirements in the countries they plan to visit and adhere to them.

Be like a Girl Scout. Be Prepared
Clearly not everyone is as evidenced by so many of the questions/posts we see here.

“ The test requirement is a US airline one,”
No, this is not correct. The test requirement is a US government requirement. Airlines are only following these requirements because they will receive hefty fines if they allow passengers to board their airplanes who aren’t eligible to enter the country they’re flying to.
I agree with ChristineH, be prepared!!! Know the rules of the country/countries you’re visiting and know the rules of the country you want to return to.

I understand that 'some' (edited) people who contracted Covid can still be tested positive for months even after they recovered from their symptoms. This is why CDC will accept an official recovery document from doctor in place of negative test result for people returning from abroad.

Italy requires individuals who test positive in Italy to self-isolate between 7-21 days, depending on the specifics of the case:
* Fully vaccinated within the last 120 days : 7 days isolation
* Release from self-isolation : produce negative test and symptom-free for at least 3 days.
* Continue to test positive : release from self-isolation after 21 days; symptom-free for at least 7 days.

Since Italy local Covid regulation is different from the US; can American visitor still get a Covid recovery letter and fly home early without meeting the Italian isolation requirement if their test result remain positive?

Since you are in Italy, you will need to abide by Italian law which includes what they require to leave isolation if testing positive for covid. The US rules around covid do not override the laws in the country you are visiting.

However, I'm sure there are many instances where individuals have gotten their recovery letter on day 10 and proceeded to the airport, not concerning themselves with what Italy requires.

US Embassy in Italy states:

Individuals who test positive in Italy will need to self-isolate between 7-21 days, depending on the specifics of the case. The self-isolation will occur at the traveler’s own expense.

UK Embassy in Italy has more details
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/italy/coronavirus

Edit to add: That 21 days is one of the main reasons that I have been hesitant to visit Italy. Waiting for that to be more aligned with other countries.

Gail: That's precisely my concern! Since some (edited) tested positive could keep getting positive test result for months even after their recovery. If one were to heed to the Italian rules more than likely it would mean 21 days of isolation!! I sure hope this rule will be relaxed at some point soon.

It's generally the PCR tests that remain positive, rarely the antigen tests. But still, I'm not comfortable with the 21 days in case I happen to be one of those rare cases.

You need to follow the isolation rules when you test positive, because COVID is an infectious disease. It can continue to spread because infected people keep infecting other people. Think of all the people you will come into contact with on your way to “get back on that plane”. From the hotel staff, to the taxi driver, to the airport staff to everyone on the plane. And many more people in the hotel, at the airport etc etc.
Let me put it this way; how would you yourself feel if you were to get infected with COVID while on holiday and later find out you got it from the fellow hotel guest who rode the elevator together with you? A hotel guest who knew he was infected, but didn’t isolate the mandatory time period and stepped into the elevator because he was on his way to “get on that plane”.

I understand the thought of getting COVID while on holiday can be daunting, but that’s the risk you take. If you’re not prepared and willing to follow the rules of the country you’re visiting, you shouldn’t visit that country at all.

Recovery letters are a joke. It’s like getting a medical marijuana license. Just pay the fee. What is some doctor to do? You tell him that you are recovered after a 5 day timeframe and, poof, there you go. It’s expedient, but let’s not kid ourselves. If you go that route instead of getting a negative test, you are only wanting to get home and have no real regard for the true infectious part of the process.
Those thinking about testing positive even after 5-10 days, what is the reality of that? Why go through the trouble of a letter when you can simply go and get tested. If you do not get tested at all, again, for fear of positive, and you seek a letter instead, you are simply doing an end run around the entire premise of covid requirements.
Then again it is well within the bounds of legality and all the squirming around to achieve an end that suits you is the way of the world now.

Thank you Dutch_traveler

Reading through this thread one thing is clear, travel during Covid remains a stressful experience for many. That “what if” question looms large before and during a trip.

I agree that thinking through options in advance is good, but those options should never involve breaking the letter or spirit of a host country’s laws. If you find that the possible quarantine requirements are too much for you, don’t go in the first place. That could mean cancelling or postponing a trip or even simply redirecting your trip to a country with less strict requirements.

You can mitigate your risk through personal health practices, but you can’t completely eliminate it. You can insure against extra expenses with travel insurance, but you may need to spend extra time. If you can’t afford the time, you may need to reassess if this is the right time to travel.

Thank you, Dutch_traveler, treemoss2 and Carol NR, very well said.

The pandemic isn't over. Please behave accordingly.

I’ve been holding my typing fingers. I sat on my hands for far too long. Thanks to Tree and Dutch for putting it out there! We are to travel in September and will if we feel comfortable with the state of things at that time. I cringe when I see posts where people would obviously get on a plane no matter their status if return testing is dropped.
If we don’t follow the rules as well as ethical, and caring about others, travel just might come to a halt if public health safety precautions go by the wayside. When in Rome!!!!

@treemouse2 - recovery letters are not a joke - unless they are fraudulent. I've read the CDC requirements and its very clear - you need proof of a positive test (not just a self-observed test) and a letter from your family dr.

I have just tested positive in NZ - I've been told very firmly by the official health line NOT to retest my self. I am in isolation from 7 days from my symptoms - and as long as I'm asymptomatic on day 7 I am released from quarantine. I don't need a test to be released.

The CDC actually says they discourage retesting within 90 days.

I also can't get another booster within 90 days - pretty much I feel bullet proof for 90 days.

Sorry to hear that, Lissie. I know you were hoping to squeak through without catching it!

Thanks everyone for their comments. I think most people would agree it's important to heed to the Covid rules of the host country; some of us just try to clarify things up. So 'letter of recovery' is not a 'get out of jail (isolation) free card'; so to speak :)