A Coronavirus Quarantine Journal, Part One
Who knew I'd be returning to my blog because of a virus? What an interesting time we live in! We have continued our back and forth life, permanent residents of Australia, with twice a year trips back to California. But 2020 has turned into the Year of the Coronavirus, and when we arrived back in California in late January of 2020, the drama was really just beginning to unfold. As things heated up, we continually assessed when we should return to Australia, and eventually decided to try to keep as close to our original plan as possible, and return in late April.
Our return flight on April 28 was cancelled, and our airline, Air New Zealand, temporarily suspended flights from Auckland to San Francisco, our intended departure point. So, on to Plan B: a United Airlines flight SF to Los Angeles on May 5, transiting to Air New Zealand's LA to Auckland flight, and then on to Sydney.
At 7:30 AM on Tuesday, May 5, Jen, a local independent contractor who supplies transportation services to Bay Area airports, picked us up in Glen Ellen. We had an easy trip down, as traffic in the Bay Area is still amazingly light. We arrived by 9AM at SFO, for our 10:40 AM flight to LAX. The terminal wasn't deserted, but definitely sparse. Fortunately, one of the United Lounges was open, so we were able to sit comfortably, have a cup of coffee and catch up on email.
We had an on time departure on a lightly-passengered plane and arrived in Los Angeles before noon. The Air New Zealand ticket counter wasn't going to open until 4 hours before our flight to Auckland, so we wouldn't be able to get our boarding passes until 5:30 PM for our 9:35 PM flight. OK, a five and a half hour wait till the ticket counter opens, then another four and a bit hours till the flight actually leaves. Nine hours of sitting around, what fun!
Ross headed outside the terminal to scout up the one Starbucks that was open in Terminal 4 to get us a sandwich and cold drink, while I road herd on our bags at a spot near the Air New Zealand counter. A warm, sunny day, and, wow, was traffic light at LAX:
After our fine dining experience from Starbucks, in our lumpy terminal chairs, we waited things out till the Air New Zealand personnel arrived, issued our boarding passes and checked in our bags, fortunately straight through to Sydney.
The Air New Zealand lounge was closed, and when we asked about somewhere to eat, they said the only thing open was Panda Express upstairs, near our gate. So off we went for our second fine dining experience of the day. Luckily, Vino Volo was also open, and we were able to have a glass of wine and lounge a bit before heading for our gate and the flight to Auckland.
We are so impressed with Air New Zealand's Business Class. Everything was spotlessly clean, and the personnel are friendly, efficient, and always ready to be of help. The excellent glass of Laurent Perrier Champagne just added to our exuberant spirits to be underway. We were fairly pooped from our arduous day of sitting, so after a very tasty dinner (Cod in a spicy sauce with sautéed red and gold peppers, on a bed of pearl couscous) we were very ready to sleep. There were lots of empty seats, so the flight attendants just made up the beds in seats that were unoccupied, making an easy transition -- just stand up, move to the next seat, and hit the hay.
In the morning, we were treated to a very nice breakfast before arrival in Auckland.
We arrived very early, about 5AM. Of course, at that hour absolutely nothing was open. We located some comfortable armchairs in what would have been the restaurant area if anything had been open, and sat down to chat with our new friend, Sarah, who was one of the three passengers on the flight from LA who was transiting to Sydney.
A little fly in the ointment here was that they never posted the departure gate for the Sydney flight. We knew we were to board at 8:15 AM, and when that time arrived with no gate number appearing, the three of us decided to wander the gate area until we found people who looked like they were also transiting. Good strategy, and by 9AM we were on board for our final leg of this journey.
The flight was a bit over 3 hours, and with the time change we arrived in Sydney around 7 or 7:30 AM. And now the quarantining process began.
The flight crew coordinated closely with Sydney's Immigration, Customs and Border Patrol personnel, to separate out the 13 passengers on our flight who were transiting to other international destinations: Doha for some and Haneda for others. The Aussie officials took over the announcement system on the plane to instruct the remaining 21 passengers to exit the plane, following Immigration personnel down a long hall to the medical screening station, where we were instructed that we must wear face masks throughout the remainder of our time in the terminal and throughout the hotel admission process. We were instructed that no photographs were allowed from this point on. Every official we encountered, whether Immigration, Customs, Border Patrol or medical staff, was completely helpful, upbeat, friendly and welcoming.
At the medical screening checkpoint, each of us was interviewed, our temperatures checked, and we were given instruction on the symptoms we should be aware of that might require medical assistance. I didn't see any of our group hived off for further medical evaluation, so apparently we were all fever-free.
Next we were escorted to the Immigration checkpoint, where we picked up our bags, passed through Customs and were taken to a holding area in the cavernous baggage claim area. At this point, those directing us became Border Patrol and NSW Police personnel. This enormous space with its multiple huge bays for arriving luggage was eerily deserted, except for a large group of people, with huge piles of luggage and many small children, who were congregated in the adjoining bay to ours, perhaps 100 meters from us. We were told that this group of 200 Australians were being repatriated from Nepal, and had been waiting here for 2 hours for the buses to take them to their quarantine facilities. Over the next 45 minutes or so, that number began to dwindle as they were filtered onto buses.
As we waited to be called for our bus, we chatted among our group, maintaining proper social distancing. Authorities had kindly left a quantity of wheelchairs in the bay so most of us could sit if we wished. After that 45 minute wait, our group of 21 was called forward to board our bus.
Now the personnel assisting us became a mix of NSW and Australian Federal Police, plus young military personnel wearing camouflage clothing. All were completely welcoming, helpful and friendly, directing us where to go with good humor, smiles and an upbeat, positive manner.
The soldiers, young, strong and smiling, loaded our luggage into the bus and we boarded to await news of our destination. There was a bit of a wait here, as the system worked to digest our information and get it input into this new segment of the process.
After perhaps 30 minutes, our driver boarded and (mistakenly) told us we'd be going to the Sofitel at Darling Harbor. We set out toward the downtown area, and it became clear to those of us familiar with Sydney that we were NOT heading to Darling Harbor. We never learned if the driver was simply mistaken, or if he got new instructions during the journey. Apparently, the goal is to house everyone in 4 Star or 5 Star hotels, and we were all very curious to see where we'd end up.
At any rate, without further announcement, we arrived at the Sofitel Wentworth (luckily a 5 Star Hotel) in downtown Sydney, where our bags were unloaded and left against the side of the building within our view. We were given paperwork to fill out that summarized our Passport and flight details, as well as our local addresses, how we intended to travel home after the quarantine period, and our current medical status (i.e. were we feeling ill at present). We waited here for perhaps 20 minutes while our paperwork made its way through the system. Then we were told to exit the bus one or two people at a time, collect our luggage, show our passports and boarding passes from the flight, and then were given envelopes that had room numbers written on them,
We were directed not into the hotel's Reception area but into a side room staffed by New South Wales Police personnel, who double-checked our passports, boarding passes, and the information we had provided about local addresses and how we planned to travel home. Then they directed us to a soldier waiting at the elevator that is separate from those in the hotel's normal Reception area, who took us up to the 9th floor. Another friendly young soldier greeted us politely and offered to help us with our bags. We followed him down the corridor to our room, which he opened with his key and let us in.
We were not given a key, since the idea is that we are to remain inside for the duration of our 14 day quarantine. We can open our door to collect deliveries, but cannot enter the hallway or attempt to leave.
In our room, there was a document outlining the practical details of our stay. The hotel will deliver three meals a day, which, along with the cost of our accommodation, is at the government's expense. The meals are left outside our door at appropriate meal times, and they will knock on the door to indicate they've delivered the meals. The paper bags are brought inside, the meals eaten, and the rubbish returned to the bag and left in the hall outside our door for collection. Any other rubbish we accumulate during the day may be put in plastic bags and left outside the door each evening.
If we wish to order groceries or supplies from suppliers outside the hotel, we can place an order by phone or online direct with the suppliers (Woolworths, Coles, a pharmacy, etc.) for delivery to the hotel, where military personnel will inspect the deliveries to be sure nothing unsafe or forbidden is included, and then deliver the order to our door. Items that are not allowed include cigarettes and alcohol. We can order through the hotel one bottle of wine or three bottles of beer each day, at our own expense. Ross just ordered a bottle of Shiraz Cabernet to go with our meal this evening.
Within a couple of hours of our arrival, we heard a knock at the door. A nice young solder was there with a bag containing bottled water, pretzels and two bananas, saying they felt we might like a snack as we settle in. An hour later our phone rang -- it was the hotel nurse, checking to see whether we have any prescription medications that may need to be refilled before we finish our quarantine. They will take care of that for us if needed. Also, if anyone is feeling anxious or would like to speak with a mental health professional, they would be happy to arrange that. She asked if we are feeling well, and said if we begin to feel ill to let them know as soon as possible. All very friendly and supportive. She said she will check in with us each day to be sure we are ok and don't need anything from them.
And so, after a travel day of 37 hours, we fell into bed and had a great first night's rest, and have now entered our second day of quarantine. All is well!
Our return flight on April 28 was cancelled, and our airline, Air New Zealand, temporarily suspended flights from Auckland to San Francisco, our intended departure point. So, on to Plan B: a United Airlines flight SF to Los Angeles on May 5, transiting to Air New Zealand's LA to Auckland flight, and then on to Sydney.
At 7:30 AM on Tuesday, May 5, Jen, a local independent contractor who supplies transportation services to Bay Area airports, picked us up in Glen Ellen. We had an easy trip down, as traffic in the Bay Area is still amazingly light. We arrived by 9AM at SFO, for our 10:40 AM flight to LAX. The terminal wasn't deserted, but definitely sparse. Fortunately, one of the United Lounges was open, so we were able to sit comfortably, have a cup of coffee and catch up on email.
We had an on time departure on a lightly-passengered plane and arrived in Los Angeles before noon. The Air New Zealand ticket counter wasn't going to open until 4 hours before our flight to Auckland, so we wouldn't be able to get our boarding passes until 5:30 PM for our 9:35 PM flight. OK, a five and a half hour wait till the ticket counter opens, then another four and a bit hours till the flight actually leaves. Nine hours of sitting around, what fun!
Ross headed outside the terminal to scout up the one Starbucks that was open in Terminal 4 to get us a sandwich and cold drink, while I road herd on our bags at a spot near the Air New Zealand counter. A warm, sunny day, and, wow, was traffic light at LAX:
After our fine dining experience from Starbucks, in our lumpy terminal chairs, we waited things out till the Air New Zealand personnel arrived, issued our boarding passes and checked in our bags, fortunately straight through to Sydney.
The Air New Zealand lounge was closed, and when we asked about somewhere to eat, they said the only thing open was Panda Express upstairs, near our gate. So off we went for our second fine dining experience of the day. Luckily, Vino Volo was also open, and we were able to have a glass of wine and lounge a bit before heading for our gate and the flight to Auckland.
We are so impressed with Air New Zealand's Business Class. Everything was spotlessly clean, and the personnel are friendly, efficient, and always ready to be of help. The excellent glass of Laurent Perrier Champagne just added to our exuberant spirits to be underway. We were fairly pooped from our arduous day of sitting, so after a very tasty dinner (Cod in a spicy sauce with sautéed red and gold peppers, on a bed of pearl couscous) we were very ready to sleep. There were lots of empty seats, so the flight attendants just made up the beds in seats that were unoccupied, making an easy transition -- just stand up, move to the next seat, and hit the hay.
In the morning, we were treated to a very nice breakfast before arrival in Auckland.
We arrived very early, about 5AM. Of course, at that hour absolutely nothing was open. We located some comfortable armchairs in what would have been the restaurant area if anything had been open, and sat down to chat with our new friend, Sarah, who was one of the three passengers on the flight from LA who was transiting to Sydney.
A little fly in the ointment here was that they never posted the departure gate for the Sydney flight. We knew we were to board at 8:15 AM, and when that time arrived with no gate number appearing, the three of us decided to wander the gate area until we found people who looked like they were also transiting. Good strategy, and by 9AM we were on board for our final leg of this journey.
The flight was a bit over 3 hours, and with the time change we arrived in Sydney around 7 or 7:30 AM. And now the quarantining process began.
The flight crew coordinated closely with Sydney's Immigration, Customs and Border Patrol personnel, to separate out the 13 passengers on our flight who were transiting to other international destinations: Doha for some and Haneda for others. The Aussie officials took over the announcement system on the plane to instruct the remaining 21 passengers to exit the plane, following Immigration personnel down a long hall to the medical screening station, where we were instructed that we must wear face masks throughout the remainder of our time in the terminal and throughout the hotel admission process. We were instructed that no photographs were allowed from this point on. Every official we encountered, whether Immigration, Customs, Border Patrol or medical staff, was completely helpful, upbeat, friendly and welcoming.
At the medical screening checkpoint, each of us was interviewed, our temperatures checked, and we were given instruction on the symptoms we should be aware of that might require medical assistance. I didn't see any of our group hived off for further medical evaluation, so apparently we were all fever-free.
Next we were escorted to the Immigration checkpoint, where we picked up our bags, passed through Customs and were taken to a holding area in the cavernous baggage claim area. At this point, those directing us became Border Patrol and NSW Police personnel. This enormous space with its multiple huge bays for arriving luggage was eerily deserted, except for a large group of people, with huge piles of luggage and many small children, who were congregated in the adjoining bay to ours, perhaps 100 meters from us. We were told that this group of 200 Australians were being repatriated from Nepal, and had been waiting here for 2 hours for the buses to take them to their quarantine facilities. Over the next 45 minutes or so, that number began to dwindle as they were filtered onto buses.
As we waited to be called for our bus, we chatted among our group, maintaining proper social distancing. Authorities had kindly left a quantity of wheelchairs in the bay so most of us could sit if we wished. After that 45 minute wait, our group of 21 was called forward to board our bus.
Now the personnel assisting us became a mix of NSW and Australian Federal Police, plus young military personnel wearing camouflage clothing. All were completely welcoming, helpful and friendly, directing us where to go with good humor, smiles and an upbeat, positive manner.
The soldiers, young, strong and smiling, loaded our luggage into the bus and we boarded to await news of our destination. There was a bit of a wait here, as the system worked to digest our information and get it input into this new segment of the process.
After perhaps 30 minutes, our driver boarded and (mistakenly) told us we'd be going to the Sofitel at Darling Harbor. We set out toward the downtown area, and it became clear to those of us familiar with Sydney that we were NOT heading to Darling Harbor. We never learned if the driver was simply mistaken, or if he got new instructions during the journey. Apparently, the goal is to house everyone in 4 Star or 5 Star hotels, and we were all very curious to see where we'd end up.
At any rate, without further announcement, we arrived at the Sofitel Wentworth (luckily a 5 Star Hotel) in downtown Sydney, where our bags were unloaded and left against the side of the building within our view. We were given paperwork to fill out that summarized our Passport and flight details, as well as our local addresses, how we intended to travel home after the quarantine period, and our current medical status (i.e. were we feeling ill at present). We waited here for perhaps 20 minutes while our paperwork made its way through the system. Then we were told to exit the bus one or two people at a time, collect our luggage, show our passports and boarding passes from the flight, and then were given envelopes that had room numbers written on them,
We were directed not into the hotel's Reception area but into a side room staffed by New South Wales Police personnel, who double-checked our passports, boarding passes, and the information we had provided about local addresses and how we planned to travel home. Then they directed us to a soldier waiting at the elevator that is separate from those in the hotel's normal Reception area, who took us up to the 9th floor. Another friendly young soldier greeted us politely and offered to help us with our bags. We followed him down the corridor to our room, which he opened with his key and let us in.
We were not given a key, since the idea is that we are to remain inside for the duration of our 14 day quarantine. We can open our door to collect deliveries, but cannot enter the hallway or attempt to leave.
In our room, there was a document outlining the practical details of our stay. The hotel will deliver three meals a day, which, along with the cost of our accommodation, is at the government's expense. The meals are left outside our door at appropriate meal times, and they will knock on the door to indicate they've delivered the meals. The paper bags are brought inside, the meals eaten, and the rubbish returned to the bag and left in the hall outside our door for collection. Any other rubbish we accumulate during the day may be put in plastic bags and left outside the door each evening.
If we wish to order groceries or supplies from suppliers outside the hotel, we can place an order by phone or online direct with the suppliers (Woolworths, Coles, a pharmacy, etc.) for delivery to the hotel, where military personnel will inspect the deliveries to be sure nothing unsafe or forbidden is included, and then deliver the order to our door. Items that are not allowed include cigarettes and alcohol. We can order through the hotel one bottle of wine or three bottles of beer each day, at our own expense. Ross just ordered a bottle of Shiraz Cabernet to go with our meal this evening.
Within a couple of hours of our arrival, we heard a knock at the door. A nice young solder was there with a bag containing bottled water, pretzels and two bananas, saying they felt we might like a snack as we settle in. An hour later our phone rang -- it was the hotel nurse, checking to see whether we have any prescription medications that may need to be refilled before we finish our quarantine. They will take care of that for us if needed. Also, if anyone is feeling anxious or would like to speak with a mental health professional, they would be happy to arrange that. She asked if we are feeling well, and said if we begin to feel ill to let them know as soon as possible. All very friendly and supportive. She said she will check in with us each day to be sure we are ok and don't need anything from them.
And so, after a travel day of 37 hours, we fell into bed and had a great first night's rest, and have now entered our second day of quarantine. All is well!
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