Preparing for Leeds: Self Isolation

Travelling away from home is always going to bring up a lot of questions, from the type of clothes you'll have to bring with you to how you'll be able to do your grocery shopping at the supermarket. In these uncertain times in particular, many people are wondering what the process of getting to Leeds is like in times of Covid, so we decided to give you the best tips to make your stay in Leeds the best. 

Alejandra: Self isolation upon arrival

Llegué a Leeds en noviembre de 2020, probablemente en uno de los momentos más álgidos de la pandemia, por lo cual en mi caso la cuarentena tenía que ser de 14 días. En estos momentos, la cantidad de días en cuarentena puede haber cambiado y el lugar donde deberás hacer la cuarentena variará de acuerdo al país del que vengas. Países listados como ámbar pueden hacer self isolation en Leeds, pero los rojos tienen un procedimiento distinto. 

I arrived in Leeds during November 2020, probably at the height of the pandemic, so in my case the isolation had to be of 14 days, I was so worried about how to deal with this period, but the university was so helpful that the self isolation period was rather easy, so make sure to follow my tips to make sure yours is as well. 

*Disclaimer: By now, the number of days and where you have to do your self-isolation may have varied depending on the country you are coming from. At the moment, countries listed as amber can do self isolation in Leeds, but red list countries have a different procedure. Please, check the UK Government travel websites to follow all the procedures for your particular country. Find more about it here

1. Paperwork

The first thing you will need to do before coming to Leeds is to fill in the passenger locator form, which you can find on the following website. Make sure you fill out this form 2 days before you travel to Leeds. 

The second thing will be to book a Covid test prior to travelling to the UK (3 days before), and then two Covid tests on the days 2 and 8 after your arrival. You are allowed to leave your accommodation to get tested. 

Third but not less important,  fill the international arrivals form from the university at least 4 days before your arrival, this way the university can ensure to give you the proper services according to your specific situation. 

Currently, the university is giving free transport services from Manchester and Leeds Bradford airports, and you can also request a free isolation box, which generally includes basic items such as rice, cereal, milk, pasta, tomato sauce, meat, beans and tea, among others. From my experience, this box can last up to a week. You can also request it to be vegan or vegetarian as well, if you need to. 

2. Upon arrival

The first day is generally the most overwhelming one, you will probably have a lot of unpacking to do, so it will pass rather fast. For the next few days, I highly recommend settling in with snacks, lots of Netflix and other online social activities like the Link to Leeds global socials. And make sure to call your family as soon as you arrive!

Regarding grocery shopping, you can order everything online during this period. Most of the biggest supermarkets in Leeds (Morrison's, Tesco, Asda) have their own websites, and they take no more than a couple of days to deliver. Also, if you don't feel like cooking, you can order takeaway online from many popular apps like Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat. 

All of your parcels can be delivered right to your door during this period of time, make sure to talk to your residence life assistant or the reception area to arrange this. 

3. Masks and face covering

During the self isolation period you will be asked to wear masks in common areas such as the corridors or reception of your student accommodation, but as soon as you enter your flat, you can take off your mask. 

Socialising can be a little tricky during the first few days, as you'll have to ideally avoid close contact with your flatmates, but do not worry, you can still get to know them if you are careful. My flatmates were really nice and decided to greet me upon arrival, but I had to still maintain social distance during this period of time. 

 

Sara: Prevention and Taking a Lateral Flow Test

1. Prevention

In the UK, there is a very catchy phrase called Hands, Face, Space. The advice is that you should wash your hands regularly throughout the day. You will find a lot of hand sanitisers on campus and everywhere in the city. I usually use hand sanitisers when entering a building or after touching things like a door handle. You can also buy a small hand sanitiser to bring with you wherever you go! When you wash your hands using soap, it is recommended that you wash your hands for 20 seconds (that is the equivalent of signing Happy Birthday twice!).

Face coverings such as wearing a mask is no longer a legal requirement in the UK (rules change regularly, so please check the latest government guidelines). But, we still ask people to wear a mask when moving through all indoor spaces. There will be signs on campus to show when you are required to wear masks. You can get free face covering or face shield on campus.

Space refers to social distancing. While this rule has been relaxing, you will still need to consider the risks of close contact. In some places, you may still be asked to keep social distance. There will be signs to help keep social distancing, so when you see a sign make sure you follow them!

2. Lateral Flow Test

You might have been asked to take a lateral flow test. If you are living in Leeds, I recommend taking the test at Cormer Terrace Studio, where the university offers free tests. To take a test, simply book your place online! You can also take the test at home. Unsure how to take a lateral flow test at home? Check out my blog where I give step-by-step guidance on how to safely take the test! Remember, once you have the result make sure to go to the UK government website and report your results. If you tested positive, then you and anyone you live with needs to self-isolate. You should take a PCR test which will be sent to a lab. 

 

Harini Nagesh: My Experience Self-Isolating due to Covid-19 

One fine Tuesday afternoon, a roommate of mine announced the news that she was tested positive for Covid-19. All my flatmates were stricken with fear. The first thing we did was test ourselves using the lateral flow test kits - We already had the kits with us. The kits can be purchased online from the UK Government website Here and it gets delivered the next day. A ray of hope remained; my flatmates including myself were tested negative. Our roommate swiftly updated the NHS regarding this situation. We received emails and texts from the NHS stating the steps we need to follow as we were in contact with her. 

We were mandated to isolate ourselves for 10 days. We managed to communicate with our flat warden who swiftly alerted the residence team. We were asked to stay in our flats and all our mails and essentials were brought to us by our residence team member. The residence team immediately got in touch with us on the support the residence team was ready to provide for us.

We were advised to get a PCR test done. Anyone can get a PCR test done for free if they are in contact with someone who is tested positive. There was also a PCR testing center in the university at the Gryphon Centre. We ordered our test kits online and received them the next day. The test kits need to be sent back to the lab within 48 hours of opening them. The NHS has partnered with Royal mail and set up priority post boxes to transfer the samples to the testing centre. My nearest postbox was located next to the Laidlaw library. All my flat mates including myself tested negative using the PCR tests.

We hope this blog provided you with information about self-isolation. The most important thing to say is that remember that there are so many support services in place for you during this period.