The COVID-19 Pandemic is a big deal. For us Australians returning home from overseas in March/April 2020, we’re required to undergo a 14-day quarantine period in a hotel provided by the state. Want to find out first hand what it’s like to do the COVID-19 Mandatory Quarantine in Australia?
How to Get a Flight Home for my Mandatory Quarantine in Australia
The first challenge for Aussies planning to return home is getting a flight to Melbourne. In most countries, flights were all cancelled in March 2020, meaning you can’t get a flight home no matter how hard you try. Or can you?
I was stuck in Vietnam, and all international return flights were cancelled by the Vietnam Government in March 2020, similar to most countries. A friend told me to email the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and the Australian Embassy in Vietnam, to let them know I’m an Aussie stranded in Vietnam.
I received an email back saying they were trying to organise a one-off flight to re-patriate Australians, and they will email me when they have organised one. They warned that the flight would be at short notice.
Getting a Repatriation Flight
On 2nd April I received the email saying there’s a flight leaving tomorrow. Yay, I was able to get home. So I organised a flight from Hanoi to Danang then Ho Chi Minh City. There was just one flight per day. Then overnight in Ho Chi Minh City and on home to Melbourne the next day
The Flight Home
The airport was absolutely surreal. The Ho Chi Minh City domestic airport was 100% closed down, not a soul to be seen. The international was 99% shut down, except for our flight. Just one flight leaving Vietnam. Wow.
10kg Luggage Limit
My ticket stated that there’s no check in luggage, just 10kg carry on permitted per passenger. Apparently the baggage handlers in Australia had a COVID-19 breakout, so baggage handling in Australia was not allowed. Apparently not all passengers got the message, as a few had to give up their large suitcases.
The flight home was normal enough, except that social distancing meant that every second seat remained vacant. And the hostesses were dressed up in protective suits and face masks. Apart from that, perfectly normal.
Arriving at Melbourne Airport During the COVID Pandemic
As expected, there were a few more health checks on the way in. We were required to answer question about any COVID-19 symptoms, and where we’ve been. We had to sign forms to state that we agree to mandatory 14 day quarantine in a hotel. And we had to sign to say we promise not to break the rules.
Overall it only took around 90 minutes to get through Melbourne Airport and customs. Of course it was sped up be having no other planes landing, and also no having to collect baggage.
We were shuffled onto the SkyBus airport shuttles into the city. The hotel destination was the lovely Pan Pacific Hotel on the edge of the CBD.
Checking into the Hotel
The hotel check-in process was also quite stringent with lots of paperwork to fill out. They needed to check if guests had any special medical requirements, any ongoing treatment, any illness and any dietary requirements. And of course if anybody is feeling any COVID-19 symptoms.
The Quarantine Hotel Room
The hotel room is nice enough. They normally cost around $300 per night, however we were fortunate enough to get 14 days of mandatory quarantine for FREE! That’s at least $4,000 value by my calculations. Not bad.
In the hotel room we get 3 meals a day. Just like a normal hotel room, you get free wi-fi and a ridiculous amount of cable TV options. Also loads of free movies.
One peculiar thing with the hotel room was that nobody is allowed to enter the room for the 14 day period. No cleaning allowed, so we had to keep the room fairly clean all by ourselves. We were of course permitted to get a change of linen or towels by simply leaving the dirty ones outside the room.
Supermarket Delivery Orders
Mandatory Quarantine guests are also allowed to utilise a delivery service from the Woolworth Supermarket. I never had a need to use this, as the 3 meals a day were quite satisfactory for me. As were the complimentary tea, coffee and toiletries. But it’s nice to now the service is available if required.
Free Quarantine Meals
The meals were all delivered contactless, meaning they leave a bag of food outside the door and knock, then run away. You just open the door and pick up your delivery. The variety was great and the portion sizes were small but sufficient, which is great because it means that with a little exercise you won’t put on weight.
I was pleased to get some small packets of potato crisps and an occasional chocolate bar to make all those movie nights a little bit more enjoyable.
Keeping in Good Health During Mandatory Quarantine
I believe it’s important to get at least half an hour of daily exercise during the mandatory quarantine. I ensured I followed an exercise routine, push-ups, sit-ups, walking stretching and similar exercises. and there are endless suggestions available on YouTube.
Grateful for our Mandatory Quarantine
While many people moan and groan about the mandatory quarantine, I am eternally grateful. With a bit of planning ahead (laptop, ipad, HDMI cable etc) the quarantine can be very productive. But the most important thing is that we helped the cause, to not import and spread the dreaded coronavirus.
So if you are contemplating a mandatory quarantine in Melbourne, Australia, don’t be scared. Just make sure you bring something to keep you busy like books, laptop, iPad etc, and you will be looked after. And best of all, you will help us all to flatten the curve and hopefully reduce the number of people going to the hospital, or worse.
