Thread by @DanaNaomyMills

I just landed in Heathrow, to clear up & collect my life after 12 years of living in the Uk. This is the worst experience I've had of pandemic control thus far. thread #Covid19UK 1/

upon arrival, no one checks documents (passenger locator form and covid test). You walk and walk and there is not one person to meet you and mention these are necessary and to ascertain you have them. (I was checked on outgoing flight, but as discovered not everyone is). 2/

the terminal is empty. Not one person/ staff member. You get to a small gate and asked about your passport. This is inconsequential as everyone is hoarded into one dense line 3/

now, the entire arrivals hall is packed, with no chance to distance. Many people pulling their masks down, eating and drinking in line. Not one staff member around for ages. Everyone is crammed. The line moves very slowly. 4/

as I got closer to the staff cubicles (there are no self entry anymore) I realized why. Many people queue without filling the forms. Then they stand at passport control guy and fill them up. No one moves. 5/

I thought to myself, well, we were all told to get covid test, so it's alright then. No. Woman in front of me got to passport control and audibly said she had no covid test to show. Staff deliberate with her. Everyone is waiting. 6/

I got through fairly quickly as my own documents were checked before. Many weren't.The line hardly moves. Now we know there are some people who hadn't taken the test, so if they're ill, good luck to all of us / 7

this is-- as ever- not staff's fault but complete mismanagement. This is not how you handle a pandemic. This is by far the most crowded I've been since March, and considering the cases in the UK, I'm terrified /8

I really hope I don't get sick. I got tested twice. I didn't want to travel but had to. I can't see a change happening here the way things are going / 9

before you say 'things are bad everywhere', no they're not. I have family which needs me and a job elsewhere. so travelled quite a bit this year. All airports have crowd control, avoid crowding,& don't put ALL the checks in one tiny room. Let's hope for the best, but I'm shaken