tht

I think in private/at home it is 5.

Buying it yourself is 18, but you can also have beer or wine with a meal in a licensed premises at 16 and 17.

https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/facts/a...-and-under-18s

Norri

Can't you get a doctors certificate that allows travel if you have recovered from covid?

lansbury

But I would assume you would still test positive

You can, but as a visitor to the UK I'm thinking that might be a lot harder to achieve in practice.

Giantaxe

Very likely. Slightly lower probability with a lateral flow test. This five day isolation period is actually quite controversial as some feel it wasn’t based on science anyway. I ended up isolating for a little over 10 days (the previous CDC recommendation) after my recent positive Covid test.

There are CDC guidelines as to the circumstances and manner a doctor csn certify you’ve recovered from an infection. Not sure how that would play out trying to get a certification from a non-US doctor.

Norri

https://www.zavamed.com/uk/covid-19-...tificates.html

I'm sure there are more of these places, you would just need to verify that the airline/CBP would accept it.

OldJuddian

Has it always been 5? I never knew that there was a lower limit.

Steerpike

Someone mentioned getting travel insurance for the flight in case you are delayed. Which raises the question - what about medical insurance? I have traveled to the UK maybe 10-15 times without ever even thinking of health issues, but with Covid in the air, I would think twice. Being a healthy person, I never even considered the idea I could get sick / need care while visiting, and I may have naively assumed that being a UK citizen entitled me to medical care anyway (which I don't believe is correct). So ... are those people who are now visiting the UK taking out medical insurance, and if so, do they explicitly cover or exclude Covid?

SanDiegogirl

Just to confirm you are only eligible for emergency treatment as a visitor to the UK (UK citizen or not) and this does NOT cover hospitalisation.

tht

No idea, I don’t think Scotland has it, but I would guess the mid to late 1900’s.

That said I doubt it really matters. I am pretty sure someone found getting a 6 year old drunk would get charged with something else or have their child taken and that a parent feeing a 4 year old yoghurt (which contains alcohol) would not be charged.

lansbury

I found a couple of other places as well, but they all seem to rely on you not only having failed a test, but subsequently passing a test before they will issue a certificate. If you pass a test you can fly anyway.

Was thinking of making the trip beginning of September, so will wait until end of May and see if the Covid requirements change before making a final decision to go or not.

Giantaxe

The UK is treating anyone for covid free of charge. Remarkably generous!

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/visi...omic-area-eea/

robin1234

When you worked, I’m assuming your medical insurance included coverage while abroad? I know mine did, although I never tried to use it. It’s if you become solely dependent on Medicare that it’s an issue, since Medicare doesn’t cover care abroad. (I know that many retirees have both Medicare and lifetime coverage from the former employer, so I guess they’re covered abroad too.)

Giantaxe

Some Medicare supplements and Advantage plans have foreign coverage, usually with a $50k _lifetime_ cap.

Mallory

We just came back from Jamaica. The hotel tests you the day before departure, They email the results, and you upload to the airline. If you are positive, they have a Covid wing you have to quarantine in ( for a price)! Anyway. They offer insurance for $50 each in case you are positive. We both took that of course, but it came back negative. What a racket. Had a great time though, weather was gorgeous.

Steerpike

I honestly was oblivious to the insurance coverage issue when I was younger and working - just wasn't on my radar, quite foolishly - but I suspect I didn't have much in the way of coverage. I did the bulk of my UK visits fairly recently (sick family) since retiring early and I had ultra-crap private insurance, and I doubt very much that had anything in the way of overseas travel coverage.
Perhaps in the realm of government workers, academia, etc ... I don't know anyone in the 'commercial sector' who has anything close to 'lifetime coverage'! You are considered 'lucky' to be offered COBRA at an exorbitant rate for a year after terminating employment! Wouldn't medicare specifically exclude you if you had lifetime coverage of some sort? I know that when you reach medicare eligibility age, you can't go 'on' medicare if you are still covered by an employee package.