I had the privilege of being able to fly back home, to Hong Kong on 10 Nov 2020 in the midst of the pandemic.
Here is my trip report:
↑ On the skytrain to T1
Before I flew off, I spotted at T1VM for a while. Thanks to Herman and Bao Quan for sending me off, I really appreciate it
Departure from singapore was quite easy and fast. The airport was mostly deserted and there were virtually no queues for check-in. Sign a privacy form for Cathay Pacific, and I was done.
I entered the transit area and began the long walk on the travellator towards Gate D47, where my flight was parked
The food onboard the aircraft was simple, a few light snacks and a bottle of water.
My flight landed HKG Runway 07L at 8:15pm, and parked at a gate with jet bridges
On arrival in Hong Kong, the quarantine procedure was very systematic. I was ushered onto an Automated People Mover (train) that took me to the Temporary Specimen Collection Centre (TSCC) at the Midfield Concourse, which is a restricted area.
Thereafter, I was approached multiple times by HK Department of Health (DoH) officials who asked me whether I had downloaded the quarantine app "StayHomeSafe" and the QR code that linked to the health declaration that I had submitted a few days earlier.
I then went to a station where DoH staff put the quarantine wristbands on, which were quite comfortable. The wristband had a QR code and was registered to the app. I also signed a "contract" which ordered me to be subject to compulsory quarantine for 14 days until 23:59 on 23/11/2020
Thereafter, I went to the next station to test for the virus. Collecting a vial, biohazard bags, and wet wipes, I proceeded into my assigned booth to collect the deep throat sample. It was easy, just spit saliva into the vial, and place it upright in the biohazard bag. The subsequent test on Day 12 was the same as this one.
As my flight arrived at night, the DoH would provide a night's stay including dinner and the following day's breakfast, for free. A shuttle bus took me from the Midfield Concourse back to Terminal 1, and it was a good opportunity to get some ground shots:
Barricades were set up along the path after the baggage carousels, to ensure that I got on the coach. My hotel was Rambler Garden Hotel in Tsing Yi, which had a view of Kwai Tsing Container Terminals and the Stonecutters Bridge + Island in the distance. I could also see Victoria Harbour, ICC and ifc.
I was quite impressed that the bus driver played my favourite songs on the speaker (without requesting), as they are not aired over the radio. The most notable songs are:
ABBA: "Super Trouper"
Bee Gees: "Too Much Heaven"
Bee Gees + Barbara Streisand: "Guilty"
Chicago: "Hard To Say I'm Sorry"
and many more...
Fortunately, my room was on a high floor. The next morning, I received a telephone call at ~12pm saying that I could check out. I continued to stay in my room until 1pm to escape the crowd, heeding my father's advice (he had flown to HK in August).
However, there were a lot of people waiting for the lift to check out. To reiterate, my room was on a high floor and I managed to get in the elevator. It stopped on every single floor though, and took quite some time. At least I didn't have to wait 1hr for the lift and unable to re-enter the room.
Taxis were abundant, and I got on one which took me home to quarantine. I spent the next 14 days with my family, including my father who was not on quarantine.
(They used to allow home quarantine until 13 Nov, now it's in designated hotels)
The quarantine was not so boring as I had my laptop with me. My father also worked-from-home
For food, my father went out to buy from Café de Coral (大家樂, "daai6 gaa1 lok6").
It was quite good, with an abundant portion
After many days, it was time for me to do the test again. It had to be taken in the morning before eating or drinking:
The test kit was contained in a brown manila folder together with a laboratory form, and collected upon arrival at Chek Lap Kok Airport.
My father dropped it off at a specimen collection centre the same day
I never received a response from DoH so it's negative
And yes, I cut off the wristband, uninstalled the app, and went out on 24 Nov at midnight
What better way is there to end quarantine than going out for a walk!
I will be posting on the rest of my trip soon, stay tuned!
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