Should I cancel my holiday if I’m pinged by the NHS app? Your rights explained

Should I cancel my holiday if I’m pinged by the NHS app? Your rights explained

While the build up to a holiday is no doubt exciting, it is never supposed to be nail biting. Unfortunately, more and more British travellers have found this to be the case during the pandemic as they have been forced to run not just one gauntlet, but several: from the fast-changing nature of the traffic light system to the bureaucracy of testing legislation. Now, despite the easing of restrictions on the fully vaccinated, there is a fresh threat to your summer holiday: the “pingdemic”. At its peak, more than 600,000 people in a week had been told to isolate by the NHS thanks to proximity with someone who had tested positive for coronavirus. While one million children were out of school thanks to the wonders of Bluetooth, there was a growing concern that the required 10 days of isolation (with no option to test your way out) would spell trouble for the peak summer season. Stress over a possible positive test in the run up to a trip, or worse, simply an anonymous “ping”, can not be underestimated, but there is one way to mitigate such anxiety: know your rights. First and foremost, it is important to distinguish between a