reporter2
28-08-21, 15:54
Getting a quarantine waiver is the new luxury in travel these days
Not having to be cooped up on arrival brings a sense of relief and gratitude, although it's not quite the same as 2019
Sat, Aug 28, 2021 - 5:50 AM
UPDATED Sat, Aug 28, 2021 - 5:50
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/opinion/getting-a-quarantine-waiver-is-the-new-luxury-in-travel-these-days
Stella Stan Lee
Singapore
ON Wednesday, I boarded my first flight in over a year, from Hong Kong to Singapore.
That made me feel like a superstar, a la Hollywood actress Nicole Kidman who was given the green light to skip quarantine when she arrived in Hong Kong earlier this month to film a new TV series.
Everyone else, however, is subject to the world's strictest and longest quarantine of up to 21 days when entering the Special Administrative Region.
Like myself, visitors from Hong Kong have the liberty to be out and about from the time they arrive at Changi Airport without having to be holed up in a designated hotel room for days.
This comes with the condition that one is free of the virus, of course. So upon touchdown, a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test is essentially the equivalent of a "get out of jail free card" for quarantine or hospitalisation.
While the winds of change twice burst the planned air travel bubble between the two cities, thankfully it did end up blowing in one direction after all.
I dare say the new luxury is not having to serve quarantine during these times of Covid-19 travel restrictions, and I'm not just talking about freedom.
You see, with days spent in quarantine, packing for travel and the flying itself come with certain headaches. All your necessities and comforts have to be squeezed into luggage within airline baggage limits.
To start, you need to prepare multiple changes of comfortable clothes, electronics such as phones, chargers and a personal computer for work, essential supplies including medication, snacks, and of course entertainment such as gadgets, playing cards and books to keep your mind sane during this period of solitary confinement.
Not having to accommodate for these things meant freeing up precious luggage space to stock gifts for my family and friends, and swap my fashion collection between both cities.
This was the usual modus operandi for the pre-Covid travel era, so not having to be cooped up in quarantine brought a sense of relief and gratitude, although it's not quite the same as 2019.
Upon disembarking from my flight and clearing customs, the entirety of an additional process takes about 30 minutes.
I was first led to an outdoor area for registration and payment for the PCR test which costs S$160. After bracing myself psychologically for the dreaded nasal swab test, I was told that the swab would also go down my throat.
The latter was not too bad, but minor hilarity ensued when the swab went into my nose. I am not sure if squealing like a child counts as amusement for health workers conducting this routine test for travellers coming and going from the airport.
They were certainly being kind when they said: "Ms Lee, you are funny." I then blushed, shuffled my luggage to the taxi stand and headed home. After about five hours, I received the message that my PCR result was negative.
I was finally free, and as uncomfortable as swab tests are, I would much rather accommodate these tiny inconveniences in lieu of quarantine.
In addition, since the Immigrations and Checkpoint Authority pasted a vaccination sticker on my passport after I presented my overseas immunisation record from Hong Kong, I am now legally allowed to dine at restaurants in groups of up to five people.
But, there's the irony of having to present my passport at restaurants as a local in Singapore. Why couldn't the sticker be affixed to my identification card instead?
On one side of the coin, I am relieved with Singapore doing away with quarantine for arrivals from Hong Kong, but could Hong Kong in any way reciprocate some measure of relaxed travel rules anytime soon?
Hong Kong's zero-covid strategy in keeping its borders shut has left more than a litter of grousing people needing to travel in and out for business, including cross-border families who face challenges in keeping their relationships and jobs intact.
Joining the long list of locals and expats that have departed since the 2019 protests is a growing chorus of people considering a one-way ticket out, as frustrating and fluctuating quarantine policies result in disarray that makes planning for travel or the future even more uncertain.
It's quite clear that the state of international travel has yet to return anywhere close to pre-pandemic levels. There is a long way to go especially for Hong Kong, which needs more decisive plans for its borders where a complete eradication of the virus seems even more unattainable with each passing day.
Not having to be cooped up on arrival brings a sense of relief and gratitude, although it's not quite the same as 2019
Sat, Aug 28, 2021 - 5:50 AM
UPDATED Sat, Aug 28, 2021 - 5:50
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/opinion/getting-a-quarantine-waiver-is-the-new-luxury-in-travel-these-days
Stella Stan Lee
Singapore
ON Wednesday, I boarded my first flight in over a year, from Hong Kong to Singapore.
That made me feel like a superstar, a la Hollywood actress Nicole Kidman who was given the green light to skip quarantine when she arrived in Hong Kong earlier this month to film a new TV series.
Everyone else, however, is subject to the world's strictest and longest quarantine of up to 21 days when entering the Special Administrative Region.
Like myself, visitors from Hong Kong have the liberty to be out and about from the time they arrive at Changi Airport without having to be holed up in a designated hotel room for days.
This comes with the condition that one is free of the virus, of course. So upon touchdown, a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test is essentially the equivalent of a "get out of jail free card" for quarantine or hospitalisation.
While the winds of change twice burst the planned air travel bubble between the two cities, thankfully it did end up blowing in one direction after all.
I dare say the new luxury is not having to serve quarantine during these times of Covid-19 travel restrictions, and I'm not just talking about freedom.
You see, with days spent in quarantine, packing for travel and the flying itself come with certain headaches. All your necessities and comforts have to be squeezed into luggage within airline baggage limits.
To start, you need to prepare multiple changes of comfortable clothes, electronics such as phones, chargers and a personal computer for work, essential supplies including medication, snacks, and of course entertainment such as gadgets, playing cards and books to keep your mind sane during this period of solitary confinement.
Not having to accommodate for these things meant freeing up precious luggage space to stock gifts for my family and friends, and swap my fashion collection between both cities.
This was the usual modus operandi for the pre-Covid travel era, so not having to be cooped up in quarantine brought a sense of relief and gratitude, although it's not quite the same as 2019.
Upon disembarking from my flight and clearing customs, the entirety of an additional process takes about 30 minutes.
I was first led to an outdoor area for registration and payment for the PCR test which costs S$160. After bracing myself psychologically for the dreaded nasal swab test, I was told that the swab would also go down my throat.
The latter was not too bad, but minor hilarity ensued when the swab went into my nose. I am not sure if squealing like a child counts as amusement for health workers conducting this routine test for travellers coming and going from the airport.
They were certainly being kind when they said: "Ms Lee, you are funny." I then blushed, shuffled my luggage to the taxi stand and headed home. After about five hours, I received the message that my PCR result was negative.
I was finally free, and as uncomfortable as swab tests are, I would much rather accommodate these tiny inconveniences in lieu of quarantine.
In addition, since the Immigrations and Checkpoint Authority pasted a vaccination sticker on my passport after I presented my overseas immunisation record from Hong Kong, I am now legally allowed to dine at restaurants in groups of up to five people.
But, there's the irony of having to present my passport at restaurants as a local in Singapore. Why couldn't the sticker be affixed to my identification card instead?
On one side of the coin, I am relieved with Singapore doing away with quarantine for arrivals from Hong Kong, but could Hong Kong in any way reciprocate some measure of relaxed travel rules anytime soon?
Hong Kong's zero-covid strategy in keeping its borders shut has left more than a litter of grousing people needing to travel in and out for business, including cross-border families who face challenges in keeping their relationships and jobs intact.
Joining the long list of locals and expats that have departed since the 2019 protests is a growing chorus of people considering a one-way ticket out, as frustrating and fluctuating quarantine policies result in disarray that makes planning for travel or the future even more uncertain.
It's quite clear that the state of international travel has yet to return anywhere close to pre-pandemic levels. There is a long way to go especially for Hong Kong, which needs more decisive plans for its borders where a complete eradication of the virus seems even more unattainable with each passing day.