From Michiel

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From Michiel

i arrived at shanghai at 9.35am. getting off the airport took me until like 3pm. Then i had to take a bus to a testing place in my area. The bus was waiting for more people first since its minhang its far. We left the airport about 6pm. took about 2 hours cus he took a few wrong turns orso. 

arrived around 8pm which was too late to send us home afterwards. So that ment doring a corona test there and then staying at the hotel that was connected to the testing site. That Hotel was a simpel 3 star hotel, we got some instant noodles and it was for free.

Next day i had to be transfered firstly to my compound. sign a document. to then be brought to a foreigner quarantine hotel. For the hotel i had to pay 300 a day.

The room is big, its an ibis hotel. I know other foreigners that have been brought to a han ting hotel. Which are both decent hotels. The food is kinda meh. For a quarantine hotel thats for foreigners they dont make the food “foreigner friendly”. So its a lot of the fat/bones/etc. But i get food 3 times a day. and have to give my temp 2 times a day.

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I can open the door to throw out my trash (just in front of the door) and pick up food and water that they place there. But they don’t want to see people walking around in the hallway. So i didn’t do more than 1 step outside in the last 7 days.

Also the “Sensors” some people might hear are the detectors of the ibis hotel. when a door is nearly closes but not really closed. To prevent you from accidently leaving a door half open. Every ibis has this. and i noticed i’ve trigged it a few times by half opening the door slowly and checking if the food was there 

for chinese standard probably yea  but as you probably know dont take a foreigner to restaurants that serve meals with a lot of bones or fish heads 

and im very happy i brought crackers and some other snacks from my own country haha

because theres no chance to grab anything here before going into quarantine ofcourse

Also i think you can order 外卖 but they dont like people coming here so much so they prefer you not to. also it can only be brought to you when a dinner shift is handed out

From Farah

Situation got tricky as my landlord doesn’t want me to do home quarantine and I just paid her 3 months rental 2 days ago

I’ll probably need to go to a hotel the government recommends and pay 400 rmb per day for 14 days 

Also the police found out that my building is a business building and cannot be rented to foreigners 

From James

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I arrive in Shanghai from Sydney, Australia on Sunday 22 March via Guangzhou. 

The process on arrival in China is very professional and thorough. I think the laws and rules for people departing and arriving in the country are better than any other country I have been to since this epidemic started. 

I arrived at the airport in Pu Dong filled out documents and travelled on a minibus with other people that were on my plane to a hotel in Qibao, Minhang to be tested for the virus. After I was tested I had to wait in a hotel room for the results. I was negative so I got on another minibus to my house. I live with my girlfriend so now we must both self isolate in our apartment for 14 days together. 

It’s very easy to do this as all the supplies we need can be delivered. 

The process is done correct and it is showing as the amount of infected people is on the decline and being controlled. 

However, I’m my opinion and experience the process is very long and can be cut in half at least. I had to write out the same document 7 or 8 times from the plane to home. To make this less tedious, why not have passengers fill out the same document once on the plane and then we keep that same piece of paper and it is checked and signed at each check point by the workers. This could make the queues move a lot faster and the workers will be able to work faster making it easier for them. 

In addition, the hotel room I stayed in while I was waiting for my test results was very dirty. It was obvious it hadn’t been cleaned at all with dead cockroaches on the floor, dust everywhere and dirty bed sheets and towels.

Overall, amazing work by the staff at the airport, quarantine and test stations. The laws and regulations set by the government and clearly having a positive effect on the country and health of the people in China. Slight changes could be made to the organisation and communication just to make the journey easier and quicker for everyone involved.

I think it’s amazing what is being done and the staff and the airports are following protocol brilliantly. It could just be done quicker. For example, I landed at 1am and didn’t leave the airport until 8am. 7 hour in the airport. Then I spent 6 hours in the hotel room. I spent more time here than I did travelling from Australia   

From Carolina

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REC

My adventure started on March 17 when from Colombia I arrived in China.

The Journey was: Bogota-Paris-Beijing and Shanghai.

When I arrived in Beijing they took us all into a bus and then to a “warehouse” that had been adequate with personnel completely equipped with white suits and thermometers whom in a very kind way took us into booths marked with the name of the city of the final destination. At the booth, I had to filled in detail the places I visited during the past 14 days and the flight itinerary including the seat number as long as with other questions.

After an hour, we were grouped by cities and back to the airport. Once there, the person in charge of my group accompanied us until the final entrance. (the whole process took me around 4h)

I have to say that each one of them were extremely nice.

Once in Shanghai, I arrived at midnight, we were all taken to an area were the health team were divided by districts. There, I had to go to the same process of filling documents and they called my landlord confirming they knew about my arrival and asking descriptions of the place to know if it was adequate to spend there the 14 days and that nobody else lives there. I had the opportunity to rent an apartment for two months.

Once all was confirmed and accepted (The officers have to accept the location otherwise you will be taken to a hotel, ether the one you pay with more comfort or the one they will provide for free with very basic amenities).

Around 3 am everyone was taken into buses that were designated by districts. Then, we arrived at the medical center of my district at 4 am and around 4:30 am the saliva test was taken. They just introduce a swab in my mouth and that was it. I was escorted into a room where I had to wait for 12 hours, time it takes for the results to be delivered.

NOTE: they do not provide you with food and it’s not possible to ask for a delivery. (they only have a biscuit and a bottle of water). There is also a note at the wall written in Chinese with a bar code to request food only from 9:00 to 9;30 am and from 4:00 to 4;30 pm that cost 45RMB. I say that is better that people carry food so can eat while waiting (that is allowed).

- They have a water machine but not cups are provided and you cannot buy from outside, so better to carry a thermos with you.

At 4:00 pm those whom have a negative result, were taken in the bus for final drop at the designated places.

Once there, and despite of the hour, the community manager had to pick me up from the bus into the apartment. (those at the hotel were received by medical personnel).

The catch is that everyone gets scared because we arrived in a big white bus with a sign of the health department with 3 men dressed from head to foot in white.

I was dropped off at 9 pm at my complex where all my neighbors piled together to protest about my arrival there. They were scared.

Two days after, a door’s sensor was placed outside my door to make sure I will not be going out. Although, I can still open to pick up the delivery at my door.

Yesterday, after 7 days of isolation, a doctor called me advising me about her visit. She came with a thermometer and some documents I had to sign promising to comply with the local regulations, the isolations, the use of masks, and the consequences of not doing it.

Starting today, I have to send her a picture of the thermometer showing my temperature at 9 am and at 3 pm until the end of my quarantine.

Overall, it hasn’t been a bad experience outside of the normal feelings of not being able to go out. Everyone from the beginning until now have been kind and patience.

We have also to understand how tired they could be from being inside those suits 24/7 under not the best conditions and sleeping on the waiting chairs all night at the medical center.

I personally thank them for taking good care of everybody and exposing themselves for the good of the community and still smiling to those arriving.

Additional Note: They do have people with some English that can help as well.

From Zaid

in my complex the landlord has to supply groceries for the tenant, I know some of my friends are allowed to leave and buy groceries or get their groceries from the complex gate and go back.

You have to register at the complex management the same day you arrive.

The ones allowed to go out came from countries not on the list of high risk countries

I have a friend who came from Malaysia he has a sensor on his door but everything is supplied by the complex management. So it depends 

From an AnyHelper reader

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22nd MARCH 2020

410pm departed KL via Shanghai Airlines FM886 to Shanghai. Two small bottles of water were already put on our seats prior to us coming to plane and a pack consisting of cake and a bun with apple juice. Done this way to minimize contact between cabin crew and passengers

625pm   Temperature test in plane for all passengers by cabin crew midway  through the flight 

850pm touched down in pudong

902pm  plane arrived at the gate in main terminal building (terminal 1)

Now to wait for medical team to come up to plane to check all passengers 

1020pm   Gave us some food (cookies and dried banana) and a bottle of water

23 MARCH 2020

125am  Finally allowed to leave the plane and doctors didn’t even come into the plane. But doctors were in terminal to check temperature and check our health declaration form.

215am    Cleared immigration and took the luggage 

225am  queue up according to our residential district for the bus to send us to hospital for nucleic acid test on covid-19. Took around 45min to queue up to register for Pudong New Area.

430am     A medical staff asked all of us to gather and scan a QR code and entered details prior to going to hospital 

525am   Finally boarded a bus but it was only a public bus. Bus driver disagreed to drive as he felt had too many passengers and luggages. In the end, another public bus came and half the passengers went over. Sun already rising and we have yet to leave the airport 

545am finally left the airport to go hospital with police escort

610am  arrive at a hotel in Chuansha which has nucleic acid testing site next to it in a tent. Took our luggage from bus and got a hotel room as well to rest in while we wait for test results. We were lucky we could do the test in hotel and rest there, instead of going to a hospital 

645am finished the nucleic acid test and checked into the room to rest. Nucleic acid test involves us looking up and opening our mouth saying Ahhhh, while the medical assistant takes a cotton bud (similar to the ones we use to dig our ear but longer) to rub all over the throat and then collect what was gathered into a small bottle for tests. It’s a new hotel that hasn’t been open to guests yet, and we were given disposable bed sheet and pillow case. Results expected to take 6-8 hours 

6pm  Dinner was served. Realized lunch was put outside my door too. I probably didn’t hear it as I was sleeping.

845pm  almost 24 hours since I arrived in Shanghai Pudong airport. Until no news on when I will go back home. Call the reception from the phone, no one picks up. Asked two workers who happened to walk outside my room and they just told me to be patient and if got any update will let me know. Hence I don’t know if I should be sleeping till morning, or get a knock on my door to go back home shortly or middle of night. Hard to get a good rest with so much uncertainty.

24 March 2020

745am    Knock on my door. Breakfast was delivered

8am   Neighborhood committee of my residence called to say they have received the call and will arrange with the district bus to send us back this morning 

815am  knocked my door and asked to leave. Brushed teeth and left without eating breakfast as excited to leave and go home. Packed bags and went down

9am  went up to the bus. But bus only left at 950am as they had to wait for other guests and to confirm everyone is allowed to leave. Dropped a few residents in their apartments first before going home. Neighborhood committee and a local doctor from district hospital was waiting for me. Took my temperature, registered myself and was accompanied back to the unit and told to stay for 14 days. A doorbell with built in camera and PIR motion sensor was installed at my door to detect movements. I am only allowed to open door to collect delivery or put rubbish. Management will arrange to pick up my rubbish and to deliver anything to my door step. And I added the local district doctor’s wechat and have to report my temperature to her twice a day.

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