No fines
By contrast in Ireland, if someone receives a positive Covid-19 test and their fridge is bare, they are left to their own devices to procure essential supplies without breaking their isolation.
Furthermore, Ireland has no fines for people breaking self-isolation, though people deemed at risk of infecting others can be detained. In Belgium, for example, people who break the rules can be fined â¬250.
But fines can deter people who feel they have symptoms from going for a Covid-19 test in the first place. In the UK, some people broke the rules on self-isolation because they feared losing their job, or they needed a dayâs pay for rent or food. âItâs not because theyâre being defiant, itâs because theyâre not being supported,â Mr Patel said.